Tag
127 articles
Showing 21–30 of 127
Apex Legends
Live-service games are disappearing at an alarming rate. In 2025-2026 alone, Apex Legends Mobile, EA FC Mobile, and several F2P games shut down. We make the case for treating games as cultural artifacts worth preserving, and what the industry + community can do about it.
Once Human
Halfway through 2026, the F2P landscape has shifted. Once Human overtook Helldivers 2 as the surprise hit of the year. Marvel Rivals 3.5 brought Blade and a new ranked meta. Genshin hit 5.0 with Natlan. We crunch the data on what F2P players are actually playing in 2026.
Battle passes are the most player-friendly monetization in F2P games — until you realize the math only works if you log in every day for three months. A look at the actual value across 8 major F2P games, the games that get it right, and the games that abuse the model.
Fortnite
F2P is the dominant business model in PC and mobile gaming, generating $103B+ in 2025. But how do these games actually make money? We break down the 5 main revenue models, who uses each, and which ones are most/least predatory. Includes revenue-per-user numbers and the actual mechanics behind each model.
Players are burning out on live-service games at an accelerating rate. The average player now quits a live-service game within 60-90 days, down from 6-12 months in 2018. We dig into the data on why, what's driving the fatigue, and what F2P publishers are doing about it (or not).
marvel-rivals
Marvel Rivals launched in late 2024 and has eaten into Overwatch 2's player base ever since. Both games are 6v6 hero shooters with strong F2P models. Here's how they stack up in 2026 and which one is right for you.
Once Human's full cross-prog across PC, mobile, PS5, Xbox, and Xbox on PC is the new bar for F2P monetization. The 3 reasons cross-prog is the single most-important F2P feature of 2026, and the 5 games that have it right.
Free-to-play gaming in 2026 looks nothing like it did in 2020. The gacha model matured, the battle royale bubble burst, and live-service games became the default. Here's the state of F2P gaming in 2026, and what to expect in the next two years.
Genshin Impact
August 2026 is a stress test for the F2P model: $6 billion in game revenues, a shifting player base, and the rise of 'premium F2P.' Where the sector is healthy, where it's struggling, and what 2026's biggest launches mean for the future.
A taxonomy of the 7 most common F2P monetization patterns in 2026, ranked from "fair" to "predatory." We rate each on a 5-axis score (informed consent, pay-to-win, progress gates, value for spend, refund policy) so you can decide for yourself where to draw the line.
Page 3 of 13 · 127 total
