Highlights
- GenAI adoption reached 100% among Japanese online game companies surveyed by JOGA, with Google Gemini used by 94%.
- The average operating staff per smartphone game reached 37 in 2025, 4.6 times the figure recorded in 2015.
- Players raised concerns about GenAI's impact on copyright and creative originality in future games.
Every Japanese online game company surveyed by the Japan Online Game Association (JOGA) uses generative AI (GenAI), according to JOGA’s Online Game Market Research Report 2026. The report also projected that the size of Japan's domestic online game market would be at ¥989.9B (~$6.105B USD) in 2025.
Famitsu reported that GenAI tool adoption among surveyed companies reached 100%. Google Gemini was the most widely used tool at 94%, followed by Claude at 84% and GitHub Copilot at 76%. Analyzing user preferences and predicting player behavior were among the most common tasks companies wanted AI to handle.
The average number of staff operating a smartphone game was projected at 37 in 2025, including marketing and server technology roles. That is 4.6 times the figure recorded in 2015.
Released on July 10, 2026, for ¥33K (~$203), the report is JOGA's 22nd annual industry survey. The research dates back to 2004 and covers Japanese games played through the internet, regardless of device.
However, its scope does not cover the entire Japanese games industry. It excludes conventional packaged or downloaded PC and console games. Standalone mobile titles without online data exchange or player communication are also excluded.
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The report examines online game companies and online game players. Topics include AI adoption, esports, blockchain games, and out-of-app smartphone payments. It also tracks development costs, staffing, advertising, revenue, and overseas sales.
Famitsu also reported that 73% of surveyed online game companies had implemented out-of-app payments, while 20% were considering doing so. Legal compliance was the most cited challenge, selected by 73% of respondents. Meanwhile, 40.2% of surveyed game users stated that they had not used the payment method and had no plans to do so in the future.
AI Adoption Raises Copyright and Transparency Questions
Players surveyed by JOGA raised concerns about GenAI in game development. Some feared it could increase the number of games that infringe copyright. Others worried future titles could become more similar.
The findings come as AI use expands across the wider games industry. Google Cloud's global director for games, Jack Buser, told Mobilegamer.biz in April 2026 that major studios are already using AI, though some remain reluctant to disclose it.
A Google survey conducted around Gamescom last year found roughly nine in 10 developers used AI. Other industry surveys have put adoption closer to 40% to 50%. Buser attributed part of that gap to developers' willingness to disclose AI use. "I think what players don't realise is that their favourite games right now were already built with AI," Buser stated.
Buser also pointed out that Gemini and Nano Banana Pro can reduce repetitive production work as development costs rise. He cited Capcom using AI to generate and filter environmental concepts during pre-production. Similar tools are being used for live operations and marketing assets.
The JOGA findings highlight a growing divide. Developers are integrating AI into production and player analysis. Players, meanwhile, continue to question its impact on copyright, originality, and transparency.
