Who are the richest game developers of 2022?

Gaming has proven to be so resilient that its market share kept growing during the pandemic as more and more people took up new hobbies. According to a report by Research and Markets, the global gaming market was valued at $198.4 billion in 2021 and is projected to hit $339.95 billion by 2027.

The most popular game developers get a big chunk of this market share. But how rich are they? This article discusses some of the leading game providers along with their current worth. You'll be surprised, some boast more than the global video gaming and online gambling market cap!

10. CD PROJEKT RED

Market cap: $4.03 billion

Polish video game developer CD PROJEKT started in 1994 as a distributor of video games. In 2002, the company got restructured and started working on in-house games. Among CD PROJEKT's popular titles are:

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Cyberpunk 2077
Thronebreaker
Gwent

Cyberpunk 2077 did not get a very successful launch. It may have tanked the company's value significantly, but it is still doing great. What's more, there is a high probability that CD PROJEKT's value will keep rising as they continue to patch Cyberpunk and work on more games.

9. SEGA

Market cap: $4.23 billion

Sega is a Japanese multinational developer and publisher based in Tokyo. However, the company also has international branches in California and London. Sega started as a manufacturer of arcade machines before evolving quickly to include excellent consoles and video games in its portfolio.

Sega's best works include Sonic, the inspiration behind the movie "Sonic the Hedgehog." It had registered over 1.14 billion downloads and grossed over $6 billion by 2020. Other Popular Sega games include:

Puyo Puyo
Total War
Warhammer
Megami Tensei

8. CapCom

Market cap: $5.18 billion

Another successful example from Japan, Capcom, is a video game developer and publisher headquartered in Osaka. The company had an impressive success with Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Monster Hunter, Devil May Cry, Megan man, Dead rising, and Marvel vs Capcom.

There have been many rumours that Sony could soon acquire Capcom. However, nothing has been confirmed so far, apart from the minimum of 5 billion dollars it would cost Sony to snap up Capcom.

7. IGT

Market Cap: 5.24 billion

You don't see casino game providers make such lists often. However, London-based IGT has had such a good thing going that it now beats some popular video game giants such as Sega. Famous casino game providers like Playtech and Microgaming are falling behind as well.

IGT is the multinational gambling company behind many high-end slot machines and award-winning casinos. They are also known for offering a wide range of popular casino games such as Monopoly Plus, Wheels of Fortune, and Rainbow Riches. Other popular IGT games include:

Family Feud
Transformers
The Price is Right
Pharaoh's Fortune
Dungeons & Dragons Treasures of Icewind Dale
Da Vinci Diamonds

6. Electronic Arts (EA)

Market Cap: $35.51 billion

Most people recognise the acronym EA more than Electronic Arts. This American game developer is headquartered in Redwood City, California. It was founded by an Apple employee called Trip Hawkins in 1982, and is among the few pioneers of video games.

EA has had millions in sales for all the games it launched. You may recognise some of their masterpieces, which include:

FIFA (325 million copies sold so far)
Need for Speed
The Sims
Madden NFL
Battlefield

5. Nintendo

Market cap: $61.82 billion

Nintendo is probably one of the most famous names in the gaming industry. This Japanese studio has played an active role in many gamers' lives since the 80s. We are talking about game machines, software, trump cards, console hardware, and the Japanese-style playing cards Karuta.

Some of Nintendo's biggest successes are the Mario Brothers series, which has sold an astounding 620 million copies, and the Nintendo Wii device, which has sold over 100 million units. They have also had significant success with:

The Legend of Zelda
Star Fox
Donkey Kong

4. Activision Blizzard

Market cap: $62.4 billion

Two companies in the gaming and media industries - Activision and Vivendi - merged in 2008 to form Activision Blizzard and become one of the top five largest game developers worldwide. However, Activision bought itself off from Vivendi in an 8-billion dollar deal in 2013.

More notably though, Activision has recently been acquired by Microsoft, which means this is probably the last time we'll see the company as a separate entry on this list. Activision Blizzard also runs several smaller subsidiaries, such as Treyarch and Infinity Wards, which will all belong to Microsoft once the acquisition process is finalized.

You may have recognised the Activision Blizzard logo in popular games like:

Call of Duty
Guitar Hero
Warcraft
Starcraft

3. Sony

Market Cap: $131.53 billion

This is where the heavyweights join the list. We obviously cannot credit all of Sony's 131 billion dollars to the gaming industry, but it does get a lot of it from the PlayStation series and several high-ranking video games.
Sony has focused a significant portion of its resources on creating a revolutionary gaming console and acquiring smaller gaming companies such as Guerrilla Games and Insomniac Games. The jury is still out on the CapCop acquisition rumours.

2. Tencent

Market cap: $496.56 billion

Also known as Tencent Holdings Ltd., Tencent is a multinational technology and entertainment conglomerate and holdings company with headquarters in Shenzhen, China. The long description pairs well with their $490+ billion market valuation!

Like any other giant company would do, Tencent has acquired smaller game developers such as Riot Games, the guys behind League of Legends, and Epic Games, the developers of Fortnite. Other game titles under Tencent include:

Honour of Kings
Moonlight Blade
Call of Duty Online
Ring of Elysium
CrossFire

1. Microsoft

Market Cap: $2.252 Trillion

Again, not all of Microsoft's revenue comes from their gaming ventures. Still, Microsoft is a force to be reckoned with in the video game industry. It takes centre stage in many gaming-related affairs, from the Xbox console to an active role in famed games such as Gears of War, Minecraft, and Halo.

Moreover, with the upcoming acquisition of Activision Blizzard costing Microsoft 68.7 billion dollars, the company doesn't show any signs of stopping.

Conclusion

The logos behind some of the most popular video and casino games are smiling to the bank. Most enjoy millions of sales in each of their products and although some have assets in multiple industries, you bet they are not in a hurry to give up their gaming portfolio.