By doing so, they allow users to access and play the titles without paying their developers or distributors. It generated an estimated $180bn in 2021, over half (52%) of the global total, so it would be safe to assume that piracy rates are relatively high here.Īt its simplest, pirated games are those that have been “cracked” by bypassing digital rights management (DRM), technology designed to protect copyrighted content. Mobile is expected to dominate over the coming years. But we know how large the legitimate market is.

There’s scant data on the size of the market for pirated games. Or Megaupload, one of the biggest sources of digital piracy when it launched in 2005, two years ahead of Netflix. Witness the success of Napster, years before iTunes and Spotify emerged. The piracy and grey markets always seem to be one step ahead of legitimate digital distribution channels. And these are just some of the threats faced by gamers. However, what is clear is that downloading and running a pirated copy may expose you to multiple risks – from penalty fines to dangerous malware.

Some studies like this 2017 report have found that, unlike other types of content, it may not always have such an adverse impact. It’s difficult to say definitively whether piracy actually impacts the global trade in legitimate gaming software. Piracy is rife across platforms, from PC and mobile device-based games to consoles. Just as with movies, TV shows, music, and other digital content, there’s a roaring market in gaming titles that have been “cracked” so that anyone can use them for free.

But when we see this much growth, revenue, and users concentrated in one place, there are usually people around looking to profit. Revenue in the global video games market is set to grow by nearly 11% this year to reach almost $209bn.

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