GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic has published its annual ranking of video game publishers, and like previous years, there are some big surprises on the list. With thousands of games released across PC and console in 2025, Metacritic had to once again establish several rules to help it figure out the best of the best to evaluate the overall performance of these companies.
This included counting only critical reviews–sales and user reviews did not factor into the rankings–and only publishers with five or more distinct titles released last year were included in the rankings. Metacritic also created a points system based on four criteria:
- The average Metascore for all games released in 2025
- The percentage of scored products with good reviews (Metascore of at least 75)
- The percentage of scored products with bad reviews (A Metascore of 49 or lower)
- The number of “great” titles (Metascore of 90 or higher, minimum of seven reviews)
Once all the data had been gathered and the numbers punched in, that left Metacritic with a list of 28 publishers. This year’s top 10 encompasses both AAA powerhouses and rising stars in the indie scene. DotEmu and Thunderful made it into this elite club, while last year’s winner, Sega, slipped to seventh place. Here’s a closer look at who emerged triumphant.
Some big names failed to crack the top 10
Several major publishers appeared on the list, with notable shifts in their overall rankings. Nintendo advanced several positions, driven by the launch of the Switch 2 and the release of well-reviewed titles such as Donkey Kong Banaza and Legend of Zelda ports. Ubisoft improved its average Metascore by four points. In contrast, Sony declined from fourth place in 2024 to 21st, as multiple titles received lukewarm reviews. Its best-reviewed games were Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
28. Idea Factory (Previous year’s rank: 19 of 37)
27. Arc System Works (Previous year’s rank: Unranked)
26. Nacon / Daedelic (Previous year’s rank: 36 of 37)
25. Microids (Previous year’s rank: Unranked)
24. Bandai Namco (Previous year’s rank:27 of 37)
23. Annapurna Interactive (Previous year’s rank: 10 of 37)
22. Plaion (Previous year’s rank: 20 of 37)
21. Sony (Previous year’s rank: 4 of 37)
20. Atari (Previous year’s rank: 31 of 37)
19. Pqube (Previous year’s rank: 35 of 37)
18. Clear River Games (Previous year’s rank: Unranked)
17. Marvelous / XSEED (Previous year’s rank: Unranked)
16. Don’t Nod Entertainment (Previous year’s rank: Unranked)
15. Konami (Previous year’s rank: 25 of 37)
14. Devolver Digital (Previous year’s rank: 13 of 37)
13. Koei Tecmo (Previous year’s rank: Unranked)
12. Nintendo (Previous year’s rank: 22 of 37)
11. Ubisoft (Previous year’s rank: 18 of 37)
10. Raw Fury
- Previous year’s rank: 8 (of 37)
- Average Metascore: 79
- Best 2025 game: Blue Prince
9. DotEmu
- Previous year’s rank: Unranked
- Average Metascore: 81
- Best 2025 game: Absolum (Switch)
8. Electronic Arts
- Previous year’s rank: 23 (of 37)
- Average Metascore: 79
- Best 2025 game: Split Fiction
7. Sega
- Previous year’s rank: 1 (of 37)
- Average Metascore: 80
- Best 2025 game: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
6. Take-Two Interactive
- Previous year’s rank: 12 (of 37)
- Average Metascore: 79
- Best 2025 game: Borderlands 4
5. Microsoft
- Previous year’s rank: 9 (of 37)
- Average Metascore: 80
- Best 2025 game: Forza Horizon 5 (PS5)
4. Thunderful
- Previous year’s rank: Unranked
- Average Metascore: 78
- Best 2025 game: Islanders: New Shores
3. Capcom
- Previous year’s rank: 2 (of 37)
- Average Metascore: 83
- Best 2025 game: Monster Hunter Wilds
2. Gamirror Games
- Previous year’s rank: 6 (of 37)
- Average Metascore: 82
- Best 2025 game: Absolum (PC)
1. Square Enix
- Previous year’s rank: 6 (of 37)
- Average Metascore: 84
- Best 2025 game: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PC)
