2025 was a mixed year for the arcade industry, combining strong trade-show activity and a busy release schedule with financial pressure, repair problems and changing venue conditions. This RETROCADE year-in-review covers the major business developments, new games, industry events, arcade history and the most-read stories.
The website and community
The arcade news site reached its 19th year in 2025. Alan-1 and Blue Motion Games joined as new advertisers, while several major stories helped lift annual readership above the levels seen in recent years. Traffic had fallen during the COVID period in 2020, so the improvement was particularly welcome.
The site also launched an Arcade Hall of Fame, creating a dedicated space for influential people, games and places in arcade history. The opening material focused on the 1970s through to 1985, with newer subjects and notable locations planned for future additions.
YouTube remained an important growth channel. It passed 20,000 subscribers earlier in the year and added approximately 2,000 more by December, supported by a significant recent increase in views. A zombie light-gun game was one of the main drivers of that attention.
The year ended with the sad news of the sudden death of former contributor Nick Thorpe, known online as HeavyElectricity, who wrote for the site from 2008 to 2013. He was the first former contributor to pass away, and the arcade community also mourned Sega Amusements’ Paul Williams and other industry figures.
Operator pressures and business conditions
Venue performance was less encouraging. Operations at Arcade Galactic experienced another year of decline, continuing a trend visible since 2022, although some operators reported their strongest year yet.
Inflation remained a likely contributor. Although the rate of increase slowed during 2025, prices were still well above 2019 levels, leaving many consumers with less money for discretionary entertainment. New tariffs also created additional complications for some operators, although they had limited direct effect on this particular operation because it did not rely heavily on prize-redemption stock. Its air-hockey table was the only significant item sourced from China.
Several new machines were added after a quiet 2024: Jitsu Squad Feat. Samurai Pizza Cats, Omen of Sorrow: Arising Chaos and P-47 Aces: Mk. II for exA-Arcadia; Stern Pinball’s Premium Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye; and Elaut USA’s Funky Beats air-hockey table.
Most of those additions performed acceptably, but Funky Beats caused ongoing frustration because the manual’s settings appeared to be incorrect. After about three months, the operator still had no answer about the absent standard goal-limit setting; instead, the table used an unfamiliar goal-difference setting.
Reliability was a bigger problem across the wider line-up. Game-breaking faults affected Minecraft Dungeons Arcade, Big Buck Hunter Reloaded, Blazing Angels, World Tour Foosball, Time Crisis II, Time Crisis 3, The Addams Family pinball, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy and Metal Slug 6, with several still unresolved at the time of writing.
Big Buck Hunter Reloaded was especially troublesome. Its PC failed, a replacement was sourced through eBay, and both guns then required replacement. By October, one gun worked intermittently while the other had a completely failed trigger switch. The operator estimated that the machine had cost about $1,500 and criticised short parts warranties, often around 30 days, alongside limited technical support.
These failures create a damaging cycle: repairs cost money, unavailable games reduce earning capacity, and visitors receive a poorer impression of the venue. An imported Maimai Finale at another local operator also remained unusable, with one monitor out of action and coin inputs failing despite attempts to change the switches.
Marketing was further complicated by the venue’s mall location. A large family entertainment centre opened nearby at the end of 2019 and had a substantial impact, while customers frequently confused the indoor arcade with the separately signed facility. Mall management’s vehicle-count figures were also considered misleading because they included surrounding businesses, including a busy Costco, without reflecting how many people entered the mall itself.
Finding a new site became a serious consideration. Potential locations existed, but rents were several times higher and a move would involve legal fees, compliance work, improvements and transport costs. Crowdfunding was being considered, alongside discussions with another person who might help shape the arcade’s future. The central lesson was that recovery would require carefully chosen risks rather than simply waiting for conditions to improve.
For Australian operators planning a new venue or upgrading an existing one, practical advice on choosing a cabinet and assessing costs is available in the Arcade Machine Buying Guide.
Trade shows in 2025
Trade-show activity was generally more positive than venue trading. The year began with the UK’s EAG Expo, followed by a particularly strong Amusement Expo International in Las Vegas. Maimai DX and Cyberpunk 2077: Turf Wars attracted attention, while Raw Thrills and Betson drew crowds with the world debut of Top Gun Maverick.
Bowl Expo and IAAPA Asia supplied further summer activity, while China’s AAA and GTI Expos bookended the season. Wahlap again provided notable booth coverage, and reporting from the events offered insight into the Asian market.
IAAPA in Orlando was a major undertaking, with coverage continuing beyond the event. exA-Arcadia’s extensive line-up was a major highlight after the company missed several earlier shows, and its booth tour became the channel’s most-viewed trade-show video.
Coverage also included six IAAPA instalments spanning Raw Thrills, Wahlap, Alan-1, TouchMagix, Blue Motion Games, Bandai Namco, Sega Amusements, LAI Games, exA-Arcadia, AVS Companies, JET Games, Andamiro USA, pinball, UNIS, redemption, simulators and more. Japan’s Amusement Expo took place shortly before IAAPA.
New arcade games released in 2025
Globally, 2025 was one of the busiest recent years for arcade releases. Some titles arrived later than initially expected, including Alpha Ops VR Strike and the Western release of GoldStorm Pirates, but both still contributed to a packed release calendar.
Players comparing new releases with established home setups may also want to explore RETROCADE’s racing arcades, upright arcade range and compact bartop machines.
Games to watch in 2026
Several promising projects were shown or tested during 2025. Bandai Namco’s Wangan Midnight Speed Ignition represents the racing series’ most substantial overhaul so far, while Resident Evil 2: Dead Shot generated strong interest as a new light-gun shooter. Both could appear at the next IAAPA in November, although that was not confirmed.
exA-Arcadia has announced Toxic Crusaders and Baki Hanma, alongside the long-awaited The Fallen Angels Revenge. Further fighters and shooters were expected to be revealed at EVO Japan, ShooterFes and Amusement Expo. A new, unannounced game based on another major anime property was also being discussed following Hunter X Hunter Nen X Impact.
Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix were also linked with an unannounced major project. Reports suggested it could use a new in-house graphics engine from Play Mechanix, but no substantial details were available by the end of 2025.
Arcade location watch
The Location Watch series continued to document new arcades around the world. It opened 2025 with a special report on locations inside Aeon Malls in Japan, followed by editions in February, March, May, July, August, October and December. Publishing moved mostly to a bi-monthly rhythm because monthly coverage was not always supported by enough suitable openings.
The series nevertheless demonstrated that new arcade venues continue to appear, even as some established businesses face difficult conditions.
Arcade history and the Hall of Fame
Historical highlights included the discovery of a prototype for Atari’s unreleased Jammin’. The year also marked arcade anniversaries associated with 1975, 1985 and 2000. Sega reached 65 years, Namco reached 70, and Pac-Man celebrated his 45th anniversary.
The new Arcade Hall of Fame brought these subjects together by recognising influential games, people and aspects of arcade culture. Its first entries covered the 1970s through 1985, including Yu Suzuki, with later games and important locations scheduled for future additions.
The community also remembered the people who shaped the industry and died during the year. Their work will remain part of arcade history, including the contributions of Nick Thorpe and Paul Williams.
Top arcade videos and posts of 2025
Existing videos for major Raw Thrills games continued to perform strongly. Minecraft Dungeons Arcade remained the channel’s leading video and was approaching one million views. New footage of Cyberpunk 2077: Turf Wars from Amusement Expo also attracted substantial interest, although early gameplay did not fully represent the later state of the game; the game as it stands now provided a more current reference.
Test footage of Resident Evil 2: Dead Shot from the United States, supplied by Manamaster shortly before IAAPA, quickly became another major video. Interest reflected both the Resident Evil licence and attention generated by an earlier UK test, despite the game not appearing at IAAPA.
Written posts attracted fewer views than videos but still produced some surprises. The year’s release-tracking page led the group, while stories about Tattoo Assassins, new locations and established Bandai Namco and Sega franchises also performed well.
- exA-Arcadia announces Data East’s Tattoo Assassins
- Raw Thrills reveals Top Gun Maverick for arcades
- LAI Games unveils Cyberpunk 2077: Turf Wars at Amusement Expo 2025
- Alan-1 brings Missile Command Recharged to arcades
- Location Watch: May 2025
- Sega’s Maimai DX heads to Amusement Expo
- Konami tests Dance Dance Revolution Stomp Arrows at Round1USA
3. Resident Evil 2: Dead Shot tested in the UK
A UK location test for Resident Evil 2: Dead Shot became one of the year’s biggest exclusive stories. The test was identified after an entertainment complex quietly posted about it, and detailed footage followed with help from Toby Na Nakhorn. The cabinet disappeared soon afterwards, but the coverage continued to draw views.
2. Sega expands the Maimai DX USA story
Maimai DX’s official United States rollout drew consistent attention, particularly after its Amusement Expo appearance and arrival at Round1USA. Fans hoped this could lead to official Western releases for games such as Chunithm and Initial D The Arcade, as well as a European Maimai launch.
1. Bandai Namco reveals Wangan Midnight Speed Ignition
Bandai Namco’s Wangan Midnight Speed Ignition topped the list thanks to the enduring interest in the racing series. It had only been shown in Japan and had not yet launched there by the end of 2025, but its first overseas appearance was expected in China through Wahlap in 2026. A Western release was not imminent, although the earlier Maximum Tune 7 had been described as a worldwide product, so international players continue to watch developments.
Looking ahead
2025 showed an arcade industry capable of delivering exciting games, busy exhibitions and new venues while operators continued to manage inflation, repairs and difficult property markets. With major racing, shooting, fighting and licensed projects in development, 2026 has plenty to follow. For readers planning their own setup, RETROCADE’s arcade repair and maintenance service can help keep machines playing reliably.
Thanks for supporting arcade coverage throughout 2025. Here’s to another year of games, venues and preservation in 2026.
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