Myths about who and what constitutes a “gamer” in the U.S. are persistent and, according to the latest report from Anzu, almost entirely false. The report, titled “From Data to Personas: The 2025 Guide to U.S. Gaming Audiences,” was created in partnership with Semcasting, combining the latter’s insights with Anzu’s data. Contrary to conventional “wisdom” that gamers are young, male and solitary, the report shows that gamers consist of a diverse group of people with broad non-gaming interests.
In addition to breaking down the demographics of American gamers, the report also creates personas for typical gamers who prefer specific genres. According to the report’s findings, gamers are diverse — 45% identify as female and 52% as male. Anzu’s data shows that gamers over index on higher education, are more likely to be married and often have at least one child.
Itamar Benedy, Anzu CEO, notes in the report, “Gaming now reaches across generations, lifestyles, and interests — connecting millions in ways unimaginable just a few years ago… We discovered that gamers are spenders with real purchasing power, valuing quality and convenience in everything from groceries to entertainment. Their interests stretch far beyond gaming itself, encompassing business, finance, education, sports, and pop culture.”
Anzu shows the average gamer isn’t who you might think
Perhaps most importantly for developers and advertisers, the data shows that gamers are likely to be part of households with discretionary spending, and tend to be at least middle-income earners. Gaming is also likely to be balanced with multiple other interests in their life. The only part of the report that supports a common myth about gamers is their tendency to love fast food and casual dining.
The report also builds personas for fans of particular genres, showing action game fans as being from diverse age groups, while casual gamers occupy a wide swathe of demographics. Board, puzzle and trivia gamers skew slightly older, while sim gamers tend to come from smaller families and focus on their careers.
Natalia Vasilyeva, Anzu’s EVP of marketing and strategy, said in a statement, “This report marks a turning point for the gaming industry, showing how far we’ve come from outdated stereotypes. At Anzu, we’re not just observing these changes; we’re actively educating the market and, together with our partners, building the infrastructure and tools advertisers need to connect with audiences in authentic, scalable, and cost-effective ways.”