The gaming world is constantly evolving and saw a big rebound in 2024, after its post-pandemic slump. The livestreaming space saw over 8.5 billion hours watched in Q3 of 2024, a 12% year-on-year increase. But what does that mean for your marketing strategy in 2025?

Influencer Marketing & Gaming Trends in 2025

For brands looking to connect with engaged, loyal, and digital first fans - the gaming space is the place to be! You are able to reach a wide range of demographics through live, long form, and short form content through passionate and engaged creators.

Looking at 2025, we’ve identified key opportunities and trends that can help your brand reach those audiences through stream integrations and sponsorships.

Tap into Content and Creator Trends:

Capitalize on the Grand Theft Auto VI Launch: The upcoming launch of GTA 6 in late 2025, has been over 10 years in the making and with GTA 5 still one of the most popular live streamed games of 2024 with over 1.7B hours watched across Twitch and YouTube - this game launch will be massive for views with extremely engaged viewers. Game launches are the perfect way to reach audiences tuning in to see the latest games being played.
Multi-Platform Streaming: With changes to the terms of service on Twitch, streamers are no longer limited to broadcasting on a single platform at a time. Creators can now co-stream to multiple platforms like Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and X reaching a wider range of audiences. This change is allowing brands to stretch their budgets and have a longer campaign run after the video is live.
Go virtual with Vtubers: V-tubers have a devoted and rapidly growing fanbase but with one major difference from other creators - they are digital avatars. One standout in the space, Twitch streamer Ironmouse, drew over 9.1m watch hours in Q3 during their subathon. During this event, she was live for 30 days straight and became Twitch's most-subscribed-to streamer ever at the time. While partnering with VTubers can be a challenge due to their digital nature, it can be a unique way to promote your brand to their loyal and younger audiences.

Think Outside the Game: Non-gaming content is thriving on live-streaming platforms. Brands can partner with creators who produce a variety of content, such as IRL (in real life) streams, music performances, cooking shows, or even educational content, to reach more targeted audiences beyond traditional gamers.
High Production Events: Streams on Twitch and YouTube can be as simple as a creator sitting in front of a webcam or an Award show that reaches over 154 million global livestreams. The Game Awards celebrated its 10th anniversary, smashing its previous record breaking year in 2023 up 31% from 118 million livestreams. The Streamer Awards, created by QTCinderella, celebrated their 4th year with 2.83M hours watched across 296 unique channels. These events allow for more traditional sponsorships with red carpet coverage, individual award sponsorships, and traditional ad placement.

Overall, 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for the gaming industry with highly anticipated game launches and shifting platform dynamics setting the stage for exciting developments! If you want to learn more about opportunities in the gaming and streaming space, click here and The Outloud Group is ready to help your brand reach gamers with live streaming content.