Newzoo finds older horror games captured most Halloween audience growth

Across 2023–2025, more than 60% of the September-to-October gain came from games released over a year earlier. New October releases supplied at most 5% of horror players.

Newzoo’s October 26 analysis measures horror engagement on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. Across those platforms, horror monthly active users increased from September to October by 19% in 2023, 23% in 2024 and 26% in 2025. Most October users were already playing the genre in September.

The report distinguishes engagement from spending. Dead by Daylight’s October audience fell slightly in the measured years, while revenue increased 43% in 2024 and 35% in 2025 alongside its seasonal event. Those observations show that a revenue uplift need not mean a larger audience.

Its revenue analysis covers six Western markets: the US, UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. Historical associations with subscriptions, discounts and updates are not controlled tests or a guarantee of results for Halloween 2026.