While Square Enix celebrates its triumph as the top publisher of 2025 according to Metacritic, attention is now turning to those who faced significant setbacks.
No company experienced a more drastic fall in the rankings than Sony. Last year, the PlayStation 5 manufacturer secured a respectable fourth position, but in the 2025 list, it plummeted to 21st place with an average score of 7.4/10. This performance puts Sony behind even Atari and Pqube. Notably, Sony’s highest-rated title in 2025 was a PC port, The Last of Us Part II, which achieved a 9.0/10 score. Nacon also struggled, placing 26th amidst reports of liquidity issues.
In contrast, several publishers saw significant improvements. Konami ascended from 25th to 15th place, while Nintendo made a notable jump from 22nd to 12th. Xbox (Microsoft) also had a strong year, with its games receiving an average score of 8.0/10, propelling the company from ninth to fifth. The top spots were closely contested: Square Enix led with an average score of 8.4/10, closely followed by Gamirror Games (2nd), and Capcom in third with 8.3/10.
Metacritic’s 2025 Ranking of Best Game Publishers:
- Square Enix
- Gamirror Games
- Capcom
- Thunderful
- Microsoft
- Take-Two Interactive
- Sega
- Electronic Arts
- DotEmu
- Raw Fury
- Ubisoft
- Nintendo
- Koei Tecmo
- Devolver Digital
- Konami
- Don’t Nod Entertainment
- Marvelous/XSEED
- Clear River Games
- Pqube
- Atari
- Sony
- Focus Entertainment
- Annapurna Interactive
- Bandai Namco
- Microids
- Nacon
- Arc System Works
- Idea Factory