A recent study analyzing entertainment preferences in Japan has revealed the gender ratio and average age of fans across various popular video game titles. The data comes from research firm GEM Partners, with a massive sample size of 180,000 respondents compiled in the Oshikatsu MAP by Nikkei Entertainment.

Younger Gamers Flock to PvP and Smartphone Titles

Among all titles surveyed, Brawl Stars stands out with the youngest average fan age(teens), making it the only game with such a youthful user base. In general, mobile-based IPs tend to attract players in their 20s, while console-focused games skew older.

Competitive multiplayer games such as Valorant, Fortnite, and Apex Legends not only draw a younger audience but also show a strong gender imbalance. These shooter titles all share a strikingly similar demographic split, with 85% male and 15% female players.

Legacy Franchises Skew Older

Long-running JRPG franchises like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest continue to have a loyal fanbase, with average user ages in the early 40s. Despite their availability on mobile platforms, the bulk of their audience remains significantly older compared to newer IPs.

Similarly, console-centric titles overall show higher average ages, often populated by players in their 30s and 40s, indicating long-term brand loyalty and slower audience turnover.

Nintendo and miHoYo Appeal to Broader Demographics

Titles from Nintendo tend to align closely with Japan’s general gaming population average of around 30 years old, with no major gender bias. This suggests a balanced appeal across age and gender groups which is likely due to accessible design and family-friendly gameplay.

Meanwhile, miHoYo titles like Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact also maintain relatively young audiences, thanks to their mobile accessibility. Notably, their player base shows a more even gender ratio, diverging from the male-dominated trend in PvP shooters.

Similar Stats for Pokémon and Fate

Interestingly, two wildly different franchises—Pokémon and Fate—share similar demographic profiles in terms of both average age and gender ratio. Despite starting from entirely different genres and fan communities, they appear to have found a stable middle ground demographically.

The survey was conducted by GEM Partners and published via Nikkei Entertainment, as reported by Kultur.