New research from Ampere Analysis shows that TV and movie adaptations of video games significantly expand player bases, with average growth of nearly 140%, far higher than game-driven activations alone. Prime Video’s 2024 launch of Fallout, for instance, pushed the franchise’s monthly active users (MAUs) up by almost 500%, while HBO’s The Last of Us attracted more than 4 million new players across its two seasons.
The report especially highlights that television adaptations deliver the strongest impact. According to Ampere Analysis’s Games Analytics data, TV shows drive an average player uplift of 203%, compared to 48% for film adaptations.
For instance, Fallout’s screen debut on Prime Video marked a record surge, lifting MAUs by 490%, with 80% of the 14 million players joining the franchise for the first time. By contrast, Fallout 76, the franchise’s multiplayer game by Bethesda, had DLC expansions in June and December 2023, increasing MAUs by only 17% on average.
Similarly, HBO’s two seasons of The Last of Us, which topped Ampere Analysis’s popularity charts, boosted franchise engagement by an average of 150%. In comparison, developer Naughty Dog’s PS5 remaster of The Last of Us Part II and the addition of The Last of Us Part I to PlayStation Plus grew monthly players by 70% and 29%, respectively.
The report shows that even lower-profile shows generate notable gains. For example, Netflix’s anime adaptation of Devil May Cry peaked as the 58th most popular TV show in April 2025, but still delivered a 358% increase in players of CAPCOM’s games compared to the previous month.
Well-established franchises also benefited from the adaptations. Despite already accounting for 1–2% of total monthly playtime across Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam in the year to March 2025, Mojang Studios’ Minecraft saw MAUs rise by 30% following the release of A Minecraft Movie in April 2025. Notably, 54% of these were returning players.
Ampere Analysis’s report also proves that coordinated cross-media strategies strengthen long-term retention. Sony, for example, kept The Last of Us franchise active with remasters and wider distribution, helping retain 20% of players even 180 days after peak engagement.
Overall, media adaptations are a powerful actor for video game franchises, drawing in new audiences and extending reach. With adaptations of Call of Duty, Tomb Raider, God of War, and Death Stranding on the horizon, Ampere Analysis predicts the trend will continue and benefit both game publishers with growing player numbers and production studios eager to engage with ready-made fanbases.
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