Metacritic has unveiled its yearly ranking of leading game publishers, determined by the quality of their titles released in 2025.
The definitive game rating platform, Metacritic, meticulously compiles these rankings using a four-factor system. This system evaluates the average Metascore of all games released in 2025, the percentage of reviewed products receiving positive feedback, the percentage receiving negative feedback, and the count of “great” titles (those scoring 90 or higher). To be considered, publishers must have released at least five distinct titles.
Out of 28 publishers ranked this year, our focus remains on the top five. Following previous two-time winners Take-Two Interactive (2011, 2014) and Sega (2016, 2021), Microsoft secured the fifth position. Its strong performance was significantly boosted by contributions from its subsidiaries, including Bethesda Softworks, Activision, Blizzard, and Xbox Game Studios. Key titles contributing to Microsoft’s ranking include Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 and The Outer Worlds 2, alongside popular releases like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and the Indiana Jones and The Great Circle DLC.
Securing the fourth spot is the somewhat lesser-known publisher, Thunderful. Despite a smaller portfolio of games, Thunderful defied expectations by achieving a high volume of positive reviews for titles such as ISLANDERS: New Shores and Lost in Random: The Eternal Die.
Breaking into the top three, Capcom landed in third place, just 0.2 points shy of the second spot. Driven primarily by its flagship title, Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom accumulated a Metacritic score of 322.2 points, with strong support from games like Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection and the critically acclaimed Resident Evil Requiem.
Surpassing Capcom by the slim margin of 0.2 points, Gamirror Games claimed second place. This Chinese indie publisher, previously known as Gamera Games, released five titles in 2025, including the highly praised Absolum, all of which garnered positive reviews. This remarkable achievement makes Gamirror Games one of only two publishers on the list to receive exclusively “green” (positive) ratings for their entire 2025 catalog.
The coveted number one position goes to Square Enix, marking their first-ever “Publisher of the Year” win. Spearheaded by the magnificent Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, every single one of Square Enix’s 2025 releases achieved high critical acclaim. Further bolstered by other Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy installments, the publisher solidified its top spot. Even its lowest-scoring title of the year, SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered, received significant praise from critics.
This year’s Metacritic publisher rankings present a mix of anticipated contenders and surprising breakthroughs.