Live gaming trends to watch in 2025

The global gaming industry has become one of the most lucrative sectors on the planet and its upwards trajectory shows no signs of slowing down.

01:16 02 November 2024

The global gaming industry has become one of the most lucrative sectors on the planet and its upwards trajectory shows no signs of slowing down.

One of the more noteworthy trends to impact gaming in recent times has been the shift towards ‘live gaming’ across different genres in the industry.

With that in mind, read on as we look at some of the key live gaming trends to keep an eye on in 2025, starting with one which looks poised to boom.

Live casino games set to boom

Advancements in technology have helped online gambling become a multi-billion-dollar global industry, but there is still plenty of scope for future growth.

Live casino games have become increasingly popular in recent times as players seek to replicate the thrills of playing in brick-and-mortar establishments.

This demand is evidenced by the number of players who now favour live casino experiences from Betway rather than playing the digital variants of the games.

Casino operators have already recognised the potential of live games and are expected to invest heavily in the infrastructure needed to support this.

Augmented reality & virtual reality will go mainstream

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have been buzzwords in the gaming universe for some time now, but the technology is now ready to deliver.

The biggest previous issue surrounding the technology related to the underwhelming supporting hardware, but this have now been addressed by development companies.

Popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games such as Dota 2 and League of Legends are ripe for AR upgrades, which will fire the gaming experience into another stratosphere.

It is estimated that the AR and VR video gaming market will hit $11.0 billion by 2026, which means next year will be the one where the tech actually goes mainstream.

Professional gaming to keep powering forward

When video gaming first arrived on the scene, no one could have imagined that people would eventually end up earning a living from playing games.

However, fast forward today and professional gaming – more commonly known as eSports – has become a legitimate career path for many people.

Interest in live eSports events will likely go through the roof in 2025 as more broadcasters and major sponsors jump on the lucrative bandwagon.

Formal link-ups between professional sports clubs and their eSports equivalents will also become more prevalent as the two sectors gradually blend into one.

5G will take live gaming into new regions

The global rollout of 5G Wi-Fi connectivity has already had a significant impact on live gaming in some jurisdictions, but things will move on apace in 2025.

The Middle East region is eager to become a major player in the gaming industry and the increased availability of 5G in the region will help them achieve their aims.

It is estimated that around three-quarters of the population are covered by 5G networks, but commercial deployments are much lower.

This will change dramatically in 2025 and beyond as the leading Middle East nations push forward with their ambitious plans in the gaming sector.