If you walked into a boardroom at Activision or Electronic Arts five years ago and predicted that in January 2026, their billion-dollar live-service flagships would be losing the war for attention to a $4.99 rhythm platformer from 2013, you would have been laughed out of the building. Yet, here we are.
As of this week, the gaming industry finds itself staring at a statistical anomaly that defies every modern maxim of monetization and engagement. On January 10, Geometry Dash, a game composed almost entirely of primitive shapes and electronic beats, shattered its all-time concurrent player record on Steam, peaking at 103,840 players.
To understand the gravity of that number, you have to look at whodidn’t hit it. On the same weekend, the combined Call of Dutylauncher (encompassing Modern Warfare III,Warzone, and the struggling Black Ops 7) sat at a historic low of roughly 52,000concurrents on Steam.Apex Legends, while still healthy, is shedding players month over month.
This isn't just a viral trend; it is a clear message about the state of the gaming industry in 2026. While the AAA industry is busy burying its failures—literally, in the case ofAnthem’s server shutdown this week — a thirteen-year-old...
