mod.io & GameDiscoverCo: The Impact of UGC on Games performance in 2025
Games with UGC tend to show better numbers. Is this a cause or a reason? It's hard to tell!
The study analyzed projects that earned at least $1M in their first month after release, a total of 1,200 titles, 18% of which featured UGC support.
For consoles, only games that sold at least 100,000 copies in their first month were included. Among roughly 1,000 titles, those with UGC support made up 2% on PlayStation and 3% on Xbox.
Results on PC
According to the research, PC games with UGC support generate 8% higher revenue after the first year compared to those without it. Over a 5-year period, the gap grows to 31%.
In terms of CCU, PC games with UGC show 75% higher numbers after two years and 115% higher after five years.
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The developers of Baldur’s Gate 3 noted that after introducing mod support, their DAU increased by 20%.
❗️These figures should be interpreted carefully. The report rightly points out that UGC support may often be a result rather than a cause of a game’s popularity. The $1M first-month revenue threshold automatically excludes a large number of indie developers.
On PC (Steam), games with UGC support have 105% higher DLC sales.
The developers of SnowRunner reported that players who install mods are 2.4 times more likely to purchase paid DLC.
❗️This likely reflects the behavior of the most engaged audience segment, which explains the significant difference in additional content sales.
Results on Consoles and VR
On PlayStation, games with UGC generate 16% higher sales on average after the first year. On Xbox — 24%.
Projects on Meta Quest with UGC support grow 30% faster on average than those without it. The analysis included titles with over 1,000 reviews in the Meta Quest Store.