There is no doubt that 2025 was a really good year for so-called AA games, titles developed by smaller studios with lower budgets. Games such as ARC Raiders, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Rematch, Split Fiction, and above all Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 charmed not only the gaming media, but also game buyers, while titles with significantly larger budgets had a harder time doing the same.
And now there is a surge of interest in AA games, with countless developers eager to take on the giants, and the giants themselves reportedly beginning to review their strategies. Many gamers have cheered this development, and there is no shortage of people who think that AAA games are becoming so extensive that they are almost crushed by their own weight.
One person who is not entirely happy with this development is Swedish Hazelight founder and gaming maestro Josef Fares. He believes AAA games are necessary and is concerned that variety will suffer, and says in a The Game Business interview:
"You do hear, after the success of things like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, that the AA games are taking over. But I would not be able to live without a AAA title. I really want to play the blockbuster games. You can't do GTA for $10 million. We need both."
Now he fears that the AA mindset will become the new black that everyone pursues, arguing that it is a format that does not suit everyone and reminding us that having a lower budget does not automatically mean success:
"It's important not to get stuck in ideas, like AA is a new thing, or indie is a new thing, or 'blah, blah, blah' is a new thing. We need diversity. I hope that publishers don't just look at a game like Expedition, which has been super successful, and think, 'oh, AA is a new thing. Let's only do that.' I don't believe in that. You had a huge amount of AA games that came out this year, which nobody cared about. Let's remember that."
Many people think that AAA games are a little too test-market-oriented and conservative, and that a game developed for everyone is really developed for no one. But despite the dangers of making expensive games, Fares believes that it is possible to take risks:
"I would argue that, actually, Naughty Dog is pushing the envelope of innovation with a AAA budget. I would argue Rockstar is doing it. Nintendo is, most of the time, doing it. So you can do a big AAA title but also take innovative risks.
"But once you go over a $100 million dollar budget, you're going to be like, 'okay, shit. There's a lot of money on the table'. People are more scared. It's understandable. But it's proven that you can do it."
What is your view on this much-debated topic? Is it positive that the industry, at least for the moment, seems to want to re-evaluate or review the so-called AAA model in favour of cheaper games that can be tailored and take a little more risk, or are bigger and more expensive games the way to go?
<bild>One of the best games of 2025 was the AA title Split Fiction.</bild>