Microsoft’s Record Advertising Spend in 2025: EA Crowned #1 Publisher for Game Downloads on PC and Console

Insights from Sensor Tower’s State of Gaming 2026 Report

The esteemed data analytics company Sensor Tower has unveiled its comprehensive State of Gaming 2026 report, providing a detailed examination of the video game industry throughout 2025. This analysis traverses several metrics, shedding light on marketing expenditures by various publishers while also ranking them by the volume of game downloads. Notably, Microsoft emerged as the leading spender on marketing for its lineup of PC and console games. However, it ranked second in overall cross-platform game downloads, trailing behind Take-Two—which secured the top spot—and Electronic Arts (EA) in third.

When considering solely the PC and console markets, which are monitored via platforms like Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox, the download figures are considerably smaller in comparison to the expansive mobile gaming sector. In this expansive arena, Tencent remains the unrivaled leader.

It’s essential to note that the rankings appearing in the accompanying graph may show Embracer Group leading, primarily because the statistics do not encompass data from prominent entities such as Supercell and Miniclip.com. Excluding these, Tencent falls into fifth place when accounting for its combined downloads across PC, console, and mobile platforms.

Top Publishers by Downloads in 2025

In terms of pure download numbers, EA led the pack for PC and console games with an impressive 206 million downloads, followed by Microsoft with 148 million, and Take-Two with 92.8 million. The remaining spots in the top five are occupied by Ubisoft generating 80.1 million downloads and Sony Interactive Entertainment capturing 73.9 million.

A bar chart titled 'Top Cross-Platform Publishers by Downloads' shows Embracer Group leading, with Electronic Arts second — Image credit: Sensor Tower

Ad Spend Insights Among Top Publishers

Exploring the advertising expenditures, Take-Two ranks second behind Microsoft. EA holds the third position, while Epic Games and Tencent occupy fourth and fifth place, respectively. The subsequent positions are filled by Ubisoft, Nintendo, and Sony, with the top ten rounded off by Roblox and Wargaming.net.

Despite Epic Games positioning itself fourth in overall advertising spend, Fortnite continues to dominate as the highest expenditure for an individual game. Moreover, Battlefield 6, the best-selling title of 2025 from EA’s portfolio, stood out with one of the largest marketing budgets dedicated to securing its top sales chart position.

A bar chart titled 'Overall' shows 'Fortnite' leading in PC/Console games ad spend and 'Microsoft' as the top publisher by — Image credit: Sensor Tower

Targeted Advertising by Publisher

Microsoft’s marketing strategy significantly favored Minecraft, while substantial investments were also made in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Interestingly, 1047 Games‘s efforts to promote Splitgate were so pronounced that the title made its way into the top ten for advertising spend, ranking ninth. However, the popularity of Splitgate: Arena Reloaded peaked at just under 26, 000 concurrent players on Steam and regularly hovers around the 1, 000 mark, highlighting the limitations of simply throwing marketing dollars at a game.

Engagement Metrics and Active Users

While ad spend and download numbers provide valuable insights, the critical metric of player engagement—measured by monthly active users (MAUs)—reveals a more nuanced picture. The leading five games, especially considering the trends in the U. S.gaming landscape for 2025 and 2024, are mostly predictable. A noteworthy change is the presence of Counter-Strike, which manages to displace Roblox from the top five.

A bar chart titled 'Top Games by Average PC/Console MAU in 2025' shows 'Fortnite' leading ahead of 'Counter-Strike 2' and — Image credit: Sensor Tower

EA stands out as the only publisher boasting more than three titles within this coveted MAU list, featuring Battlefield 6, EA Sports FC 25, Apex Legends, and Skate. Following EA, Microsoft showcases Minecraft, Call of Duty, and Forza Horizon 5, while Take-Two includes Grand Theft Auto V, NBA 2K25, and Red Dead Redemption 2. Both Epic Games and Valve each contribute two titles, whereas other involved publishers feature just a single title in the rankings.

For more detailed insights, feel free to check out the full article on gaming trends in 2025 and beyond.Source & Images