Newzoo: DLC in Single-Player Games
DLCs represent almost a one-third of revenue for some genres.
The report is based on data from the Newzoo Game Performance Monitor and Revenue Add-on for the period from April 2020 to May 2025 across six major Western markets: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. The analysis focuses on single-player games on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation that offer post-launch content (DLC).
The role of DLC in single-player games
The share of DLC within revenue grows throughout the first year of a game’s life, with peaks around month 6 and month 12, and then stabilizes at about 20–25% of total live content revenue.
In the first year, DLC accounts for around 9% of the game’s total revenue, including base game sales.
From year two to year five, the average share of DLC in total revenue is 23%.
Microtransactions, most often cosmetic ones, follow a different pattern. Revenue from them is smoother and does not spike as sharply on release days.
How genre affects DLC revenue
From month 12 to month 60 after release, the share of revenue coming from DLC varies significantly by genre.
DLC has the largest revenue share in fighting games (33%), strategy titles (31%), and music games (30%). All three genres are highly extensible through additional content.
In RPGs, narrative DLC makes up a particularly significant share. Other genres tend to lean more heavily on seasonal updates and DLC with new gameplay content.
DLC helps projects both maintain genre dominance and compete with other titles. Games like The Hunter: Call of the Wild or Planet Zoo, for example, stay relevant to their audience thanks to ongoing DLC. In fighting games, new fighter packs are a critical part of live ops.
A word from our sponsor.
Transform your online store into an LTV powerhouse with Xsolla’s LiveOps tools - run dynamic, segmented campaigns to drive an 80% repeat purchase rate, and boost player retention by 15%+ using in-game synchronized offers and loyalty shops.
Time-limited promos, login bonuses, and referral programs can lift player engagement and help grow ARPPU by 20%+, all through an intuitive interface built for fast campaign launches, deep personalization, and maximum revenue impact.
Case study: HITMAN World of Assassination
Hitman: World of Assassination had a challenging start, as it originally launched with an episodic model. Today, the developers combine several types of content. The game receives new narrative content, such as the Sarajevo Six campaign, new modes like Freelancer and Elusive Target Arcade, cosmetic packs, and seasonal star collaborations, including DLC with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Conor McGregor, and Eminem.
According to Newzoo, DLC for Hitman: World of Assassination generated between 150,000 and 1.4 million dollars per month over four years. That represents roughly 21% of the project’s total revenue.
As total revenue for the game declined over time, the share of DLC within that revenue increased.
Adding Hitman 2 to PlayStation Plus in September 2021 led to a 97% increase in DLC revenue. Launching the trilogy in Xbox Game Pass in January 2022 drove a 168% spike in DLC revenue in December 2021, apparently because the announcement reactivated interest among the existing audience.
Despite heavy discounts on the base game (up to 90% off in 2024) and the game’s presence in subscription services, average LTV per paying player reached 28.7 dollars.
Newzoo emphasizes that not all DLC directly drives revenue. Some of it, such as seasonal content or new modes, exists primarily to bring players back into the game.