Metacritic Drops Its 15th Annual Game Publisher Rankings
The results are in – Metacritic has officially unveiled its 15th Annual Game Publisher Rankings, offering a detailed look at which publishers delivered the best-reviewed games of 2024. These rankings are based purely on critical reception, with no influence from sales numbers or user scores, making them a key indicator of quality within the gaming industry.
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https://www.metacritic.com/pictures/2025-game-publisher-rankings/
How the Rankings Work
Metacritic’s publisher rankings are determined using a points system that factors in four key metrics:
Average Metascore for All Releases – This carries the most weight, contributing up to 150 points (calculated at 1.5x the average Metascore).
Percentage of Well-Reviewed Titles – Games with a Metascore of 75 or higher contribute up to 100 points (e.g., 80% good = 80 points).
Percentage of Poorly-Reviewed Titles – Games scoring 49 or lower hurt a publisher’s ranking, but a lower percentage of such titles is better (100 points max, e.g., 20% bad = 80 points).
Number of “Great” Games – Bonus points (5 per game) are awarded for each title scoring 90 or higher, provided it has at least seven reviews.
Only publishers that released at least five distinct titles in 2024 are included in the rankings.
Metacritic’s rankings offer a valuable snapshot of how publishers performed critically over the past year. While some major players maintained their dominance, others saw unexpected drops, highlighting the ever-changing nature of the gaming industry. These rankings may influence consumer perception, as well as how developers and publishers strategize their releases for 2025 and beyond.