The growing audience of women gamers

Once considered a niche pastime, gaming has grown into a mainstream form of entertainment. In key markets like the UK and Germany, Bryter data shows that over half of all consumers now engage with video games across various platforms.

The diverse variety of games and accessibility of platforms has allowed gaming to extend its appeal across all age ranges. There has also been a significant rise in the amount of women gamers, now making up nearly half of the player base.

Behavioural trends

Despite some reluctance to identify as a 'gamer', women are spending an increasing amount of time gaming. The average weekly hours spent on PC and console gaming have more than doubled in recent years, rising from 7 hours in 2018 to 15 hours in 2024.

Women gamers are particularly drawn to immersive worlds and rich storytelling, enjoying character development and customisation. This explains the popularity of genres like Life Simulation and Action-Adventure among women players.

However, the stereotype that women only play so-called ‘cosy’ games is misleading - since 2020, more women have been engaging with competitive and high-intensity genres, including battle royale and shooters.

This shift underscores the growing importance of understanding player experiences and preferences. Bryter’s annual Women Gamers Study delves into the behaviours, motivations, and challenges faced by this expanding audience, offering valuable insights into their evolving role in the gaming world.

Cultural differences

The expansion of the study to include the Chinese market highlighted some strong cultural differences, especially in the way players game and what they play.

Our data showed that women gamers in China are more strongly motivated by social aspects around gaming, leading to vast differences in the types of games played. Online multiplayer games are hugely popular in China, with Chinese gamers being more likely to play with other people than alone.

Popular genres in China are therefore those that lend themselves to multiplayer – the top one being MMORPG - whereas UK & US favour Action-Adventure and ARPG.

There are also pronounced differences between China and Western markets when it comes to mobile gaming. In China, again, women prefer a multiplayer experience, but also a more immersive one – opting for genres such as MMORPG, ARPG, Battle Royale. Conversely, the UK and US have traditionally been more casual when it comes to mobile gaming genres, prefer puzzle based games.

Toxicity in gaming

Gaming is often seen as a welcoming community, yet toxicity remains a significant issue. Bryter’s Women Gamers Study has tracked rising toxicity levels over the years, peaking in 2022 when 72% of women reported experiencing toxicity from male gamers. This surge may have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people turned to gaming as an emotional outlet. Recent years have shown a slight decline, suggesting there have been increased efforts to combat toxicity in gaming spaces, although the levels are still too high.

While toxicity affects many gamers, women are particularly vulnerable. What may start as sexist comments, verbal abuse, or sabotage in gameplay can quickly escalate into more severe threats - such as rape threats, digital stalking, or even real-life harassment.

Despite some progress, only a minority of players feel that there are adequate processes in place to deal with toxicity sufficiently. Many players avoid reporting incidents due to a perceived lack of consequences or fear of retaliation from the perpetrator.

The impact that toxicity is having on the gaming industry is substantial, with many players - men and women - restricting their gameplay experience by turning off voice chat, hiding their gender, or even avoiding multiplayer games altogether - limiting their ability to fully engage with gaming communities.

Summary

Bryter’s Women Gamers Study shows how behaviours have shifted over time – not only with more women gaming, but also in terms of how they play. Over the years of the study, time spent gaming has doubled, the popularity of online multiplayer games has grown significantly, and women are playing a greater variety of genres.

With these changing behaviours, unfortunately also comes negative trends – namely, the rise in toxicity. Hitting a peak in 2022, toxicity has become a prominent issue across the gamer audience, but especially for women. Countless women recalled experiences of sexual harassment, threats of rape and stalking from men gamers. It’s not an issue that can be ignored, as the impact of toxicity is significant - driving players away or restricting the gameplay experience. Bryter's study emphasises the importance of understanding the changing behaviours of gamers and how to design games and spaces that attract a diverse audience.

Understand gamers, design for the future

Bryter work with a broad range of gamer audiences to understand their behaviours, motivations, needs and experiences. Ultimately, what is shaping and influencing gamer behaviour in relation to what they play, how and when they play, and what shapes their purchase behaviours for games and gaming technologies.

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