Study shows games with short early access periods are more successful

The Early Access model has become a staple of PC gaming, but a new report from industry analyst firm NewZoo suggests there's a fine line between a successful development period and staying in the oven for too long. According to its 2025 Global Games Market Report, there is a clear “sweet spot” for how long a game should be in Early Access to maximise its 1.0 launch success.

By analysing the correlation between a game's time in Early Access and its player retention in the first three months after full release, NewZoo (via Insider Gaming) found that the less time the game is in early access, the higher the average number of players.

Image credit: NewZoo (via Insider Gaming)

The study reveals that the average number of players reaches its peak during the early access period, which lasts for the first six months, then drops slightly between seven and nine months, and continues to decrease as the time in early access increases. For many long-running Early Access titles, the hype has already peaked during the beta phase, and the full release ends up being a non-event with little to no increase in the player base.

The report acknowledges some notable exceptions to this rule. The spike in performance seen for games in the 22-24 month bracket was driven almost entirely by the massive success of V Rising and Ready or Not. Similarly, Dave the Diver managed to explode in popularity after an eight-month Early Access period. However, NewZoo emphasises that these are outliers, and the general trend for most games is clear.

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KitGuru says: While Early Access has been a huge benefit for many games, including massive AAA hits like Baldur’s Gate 3, this data suggests that a shorter period might be the best strategy for most cases.

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