GAMESIGHT
Sam Bennion, Senior Creative Strategist at Gamesight, looks at the difference between marketing new titles vs marketing existing franchises. With contributions from
Nikolas Racelis-Russell, Lead Data Analyst, and Marlie Tandoc, Data Analyst
W
hen Hollow Knight was released in February 2017, the world was a different place. TikTok hadn’t been rolled out to a global market. Fortnite Battle Royale was still
six months away. The original Nintendo Switch had been unveiled in Japan, but wasn’t yet available from retailers. By the time Team Cherry released Hollow Knight: Silksong in
September 2025, the gaming landscape had undergone tectonic shifts; a continental drift of platforms, influencers, audiences, and interests. But as nimbly as its protagonist Hornet, Silksong landed
gracefully and adroitly among audiences and influencers, earning glowing reviews, big views, and Steam-crashing sales numbers. The influencer space continues to evolve and change and game
sequels will inevitably need to make landfall on unfamiliar shores. And while it’s impossible to know precisely how the space will expand or erode in the future, there are some guiding stars and unifying trends for game publishers, developers, and marketers: • Who Puts in the Hours • Planning for Viewership • Leveraging the Franchise
METHODOLOGY These trends were identified using Gamesight tools and content platform data looking at prominent gaming sequels released in 2025, including: Death Stranding 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Borderlands 4, and Ghost of Yōtei. For the purposes of assessing sequels, influencer talent can be
grouped into two categories: New Players: Creators streaming a franchise for the first time during the sequel release Returning Players: Creators who previously streamed games from the same franchise and who played the sequel at release
I. WHO PUTS IN THE HOURS In marketing a sequel, it’s natural to try and solve the riddle of how to attract new creators and players. Without prior emotional connection to the franchise, the sequel will be a harder sell. But in assessing the space, it’s crucial not to overlook the Returning Creators. Across all creators who streamed one of the assessed gaming sequels, New Players dominated by number of creators (55-69%
14 | MCV/DEVELOP February/March 2026
of total creators are “new” for most games), but Returning Players produce more content:
Longer streams indicate a stronger affinity for the game, a greater
likelihood to complete the game or seek 100% completion, and greater long-term discoverability and prominence across Twitch. These Returning Players may be likelier to naturally re-engage with a
sequel than New Players. However, given their affinity directly translates into more time spent streaming a sequel, it’s crucial to court–and where needed, win back–the die-hard mainstays into Returning Players.
II. PLANNING FOR VIEWERSHIP Corresponding to longer streams, Returning Players contribute a greater share of viewer hours than New Players:
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