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SPAIN – 2021/03/30: In this photograph illustration, the Roblox app seen displayed on a smartphone display and a Roblox brand within the background. (Photo Illustration by Thiago Prudêncio/SOPA Images/LightRocket by way of Getty Images)
SOPA Images/LightRocket by way of Getty Images
The world gaming business is going through a reckoning. Once considered recession-proof, the sector has recently been rocked by layoffs, main studio closures and stalled development throughout marquee franchises. Yet amid the headwinds, one phase of the market is flourishing.
Welcome to what Alex Seropian calls the “Creator Era” of gaming.
“The creator part of the games industry is having a moment,” says Seropian, co-creator of Halo and founding father of Look North World. “And the moment has real financial evidence behind it.”
Seropian is speaking about platforms like Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft, ecosystems that permit gamers to construct, share and monetize their very own video games. Once relegated to the margins of mainstream sport growth, these player-driven environments are actually defining the business’s subsequent chapter.
“Roblox inventory has tripled in the past year,” Seropian factors out. “And the most played game of all time is now a Roblox game.”
That title? Grow a Garden, developed not by a AAA studio, however by a creator who grew up enjoying Roblox. The sport drew practically 22 million concurrent customers in July 2025 alone, whereas one other Roblox-born title, Steal a Brainrot, has surpassed 24 million gamers throughout Roblox and Fortnite.
“Roblox, Fortnite and Overwolf together represent over 500 million monthly active players — that’s nearly four times the size of Steam,” Seropian emphasizes. “The scale of opportunity is massive.”
As conventional studios battle with lengthy growth cycles and ballooning budgets, creator platforms provide a radically completely different mannequin: low value, excessive agility and built-in communities of hundreds of thousands. And that mannequin is paying off.
“We’re seeing more engagement here than on TikTok or Instagram,” Seropian says. “This isn’t just about games anymore. It’s about social connection, commerce and creativity all wrapped into one experience.”
Seropian’s studio, Look North World, is among the first sport corporations constructed particularly for this new ecosystem. Rather than chasing blockbuster titles, they’re investing in creator expertise throughout platforms like Roblox and Fortnite.
“We call them player-creator platforms,” he explains. “The audience is building the game. The players are also the developers. That changes everything.”
Through Look North World’s Creator Label, the corporate funds and co-develops video games with up-and-coming creators, a lot of whom are youngsters or younger adults with no formal sport growth coaching.
“We’re not just looking to publish finished games,” says Seropian. “We’re looking for creators with fantastic ideas and helping them build those ideas alongside us.”
The program gives a assured $15,000 advance per map, as much as $35,000 in advertising spend, full IP possession for the creator, and hands-on mentorship from seasoned builders. “It’s about giving creators the resources and respect they deserve,” Seropian provides.
The first signed creators embrace Austin ‘TomJank’ Rodriguez and Jon ‘SightedSloth’ Jungemann, rising abilities who’re serving to form the subsequent technology of UGC titles.
Seropian, who helped construct Halo right into a cultural juggernaut, sees a basic distinction in how video games succeed on creator platforms.
“In traditional games, you’re hoping players will stop what they’re doing and come try your game,” he says. “In a creator ecosystem, they’re already there. They can move seamlessly from one experience to another with their friends. That mobility changes how you think about building.”
Speed and relevance matter. Unlike AAA titles that take years to ship, creators on Roblox and Fortnite can construct and publish video games in weeks.
“You’re rewarded for being relevant,” Seropian explains. “You have to be in the moment. And to do that, you need to build fast.”
That pace is why his crew is investing in AI instruments to assist creators port experiences throughout platforms.
“We’re creating tech to allow Fortnite games to be ported into Roblox and vice versa,” he reveals. “That reduces development time and massively expands reach.”
Look North World has additionally made a Roblox sport acquisition (to be introduced), and is engaged on a brand new unique Fortnite RPG expertise impressed by Dungeons & Dragons.
Beyond the inventive freedom, creator platforms may additionally be extra financially equitable than conventional gaming marketplaces.
“The top 10% of games on Roblox account for a smaller share of revenue than the top 10% on Steam,” Seropian says. “That means there’s more depth of success on Roblox. You don’t have to be number one to make a living.”
These platforms additionally scale back the impression of promoting spend. Unlike cell app shops or Steam, creators can’t merely pay their method to the highest.
“It’s more egalitarian,” he says. “Success comes from talent, persistence and luck, just like in any creative field.”
Brands and IP holders are additionally becoming a member of the celebration. From Marvel characters showing in Fortnite to experiential video games developed for corporations like DoorDash, Seropian sees enormous potential for model integration.
“There’s a $150 billion advertising opportunity here that isn’t included in traditional gaming revenue stats,” he says. “Brands play a key role in sustaining these ecosystems.”
Ultimately, Seropian believes creator-led platforms are an enormous enterprise alternative.
“This generation is growing up building things,” he says. “They’re creators. They’re building the future of the industry.”
As gaming enters a brand new period formed by group, creativity and real-time participation, the traces between participant and developer are blurring. And in that blur, Alex Seropian sees nothing lower than a renaissance.
“The most important thing in games has always been the people,” he says. “And the people building on these platforms today? They’re the future.”
This article relies on an interview with Alex Seropian from my podcast, The Business of Creators.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianshepherd/2025/10/07/how-players-are-becoming-developers-in-the-creator-era-of-gaming/
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This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you…
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