Are video game stocks good?

Video game stocks can make sensible portfolio additions for investors seeking exposure to the interactive entertainment industry. Monetization and engagement trends in the video game industry are currently stronger than in almost any other entertainment medium, and top gaming companies could deliver big wins for long-term investors.

What factors influence the performance of video game stocks?

Like almost any other stock, the performance of video game stocks is shaped by the sales and earnings performance of the underlying companies. Because the video game industry is a hit-driven business, the performance of key titles tends to determine whether the valuations of these companies go up or down.

Do video game stocks pay dividends?

While some video game stocks pay dividends, the industry is probably not the best starting point for investors who are seeking reliable dividend payouts. Dividend yields across the industry tend to be relatively low, and the cyclical nature of gaming release cycles makes it more difficult to support dividends with earnings and support dependable payout growth.

What are some common ETFs for investing in video game stocks?

Investors interested in gaining exposure to the video-game industry through ETFs have multiple high-quality funds to choose from.VanEck Video Gaming & Esports ETF (NASDAQ: ESPO) is a fund that consisted of 29 holdings with exposure to the video-game industry and had an expense ratio of 0.55% in May 2026. It's constructed to mirror the total return of the MVIS Global Video Gaming and eSports Index.GlobalX Video Games & Esports ETF (NASDAQ:HERO) has an expense ratio of 0.5% and holds 42 gaming and gaming-adjacent stocks. This ETF is built to track the price and yield performance of the Solactive Video Games & Esports Index.Amplify Video Game Leaders ETF (NYSEMKT:GMR) carries a 0.59% expense ratio, holds 21 stocks, and aims to replicate the performance of the VettaFi Video Game Leaders Index.

What factors drive volatility in video game stocks compared to broader markets?

The video game market tends to be highly hit-driven. The performance of leading stocks in the category depends heavily on each company's landmark titles. In addition to performance for blockbuster releases, valuation trends for leading video game companies are also shaped by the market's appetite for investment in the broader entertainment industry.

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Best Video Game Stocks for 2026 and How to Invest

By Keith Noonan – Updated May 13, 2026 at 2:33 AM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Capcom's robust game franchise updates like Resident Evil boost its financial growth.
Take-Two excels with engaging, revenue-generating titles like Grand Theft Auto.
Microsoft, with recent acquisitions, plays a major role in various gaming platforms.

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Ticker Information Table
Name and ticker	Current price	Market capMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.	Dividend yield
Capcom (OTC:CCOEY)	$10.19	$8.5 billion	0.63%
Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ:TTWO)	$252.25	$47.9 billion	0.00%
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)	$382.68	$2.9 trillion	0.92%
CD Projekt (OTC:OTGLY)	$15.52	$6.3 billion	0.00%
Nintendo (OTC:NTDOY)	$10.80	$51.0 billion	0.61%

Data as of Jul 8, 2026. Showing 5 of 5 total entries.

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1. Capcom

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OTC: CCOEF

Capcom

Today's Change

(0.00%) $0.00

Current Price

$18.26

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$7.6B

Day's Range

$18.26 - $18.26

52wk Range

$16.45 - $29.89

Volume

Avg Vol

25.5K

Gross Margin

56.73%

Dividend Yield

1.60%

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2. Take-Two Interactive

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NASDAQ: TTWO

Take-Two Interactive Software

Today's Change

(-2.15%) $-5.54

Current Price

$252.25

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$48B

Day's Range

$250.92 - $259.42

52wk Range

$187.63 - $265.94

Volume

10.6K

Avg Vol

2.4M

Gross Margin

54.24%

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Take-Two Interactive's valuation has grown rapidly due to stellar performances by its core franchises. Grand Theft Auto is the company's biggest and most important property, and, as a series, one of the most profitable in all of gaming entertainment. Take-Two's Red Dead Redemption series has been very well-received, and its NBA 2K basketball series is a leader in the sports game category. The company also owns a variety of smaller series and other development initiatives that help to drive growth.

Game development is typically complex and resource-intensive, yet the development studios behind Take-Two's top franchises have repeatedly delivered outstanding products. Take-Two is skilled at delighting players and sparking high levels of both engagement and in-game spending. The company's strong financial position enables it to aggressively pursue new growth opportunities in categories such as mobile games and esports.

3. Microsoft

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NASDAQ: MSFT

Microsoft

Today's Change

(-1.58%) $-6.16

Current Price

$382.68

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$2.9T

Day's Range

$381.36 - $385.23

52wk Range

$349.20 - $555.45

Volume

241.2K

Avg Vol

40.3M

Gross Margin

68.31%

Dividend Yield

0.92%

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Microsoft is primarily a productivity software and cloud computing company, but the tech giant is also one of the most prominent players in the video game industry. Microsoft is behind the Xbox game console, its Windows operating system is the de facto standard for PC gaming, and it owns a wide variety of game studios.

Microsoft owns Minecraft developer Mojang and Elder Scrolls developer Bethesda, and it also acquired video game juggernaut Activision Blizzard in a blockbuster $70 billion deal, winning a final appeal by the Federal Trade Commission in May 2025. Activision Blizzard owns iconic franchises such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush, and is a leader across console, mobile, and PC platforms.

4. CD Projekt

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OTC: OTGLY

CD Projekt

Today's Change

(-1.46%) $-0.23

Current Price

$15.52

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$6.3B

Day's Range

$15.48 - $15.53

52wk Range

$14.16 - $20.50

Volume

573

Avg Vol

23.1K

Gross Margin

81.12%

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CD Projekt (OTGLY -1.46%) is a Poland-based games developer and publisher that has delivered some big hits over the last decade. While the company's Cyberpunk 2077 got off to a bit of a rough start following its 2020 launch, CD Projekt has done an impressive job of fixing issues that hindered the title at launch and turned it into a consistent performance driver.

CD Projekt is also responsible for The Witcher -- one of the most successful role-playing game franchises over the last 10 years. With a new Witcher title on the horizon, CD Projekt could be poised for a new growth phase.

5. Nintendo

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OTC: NTDOY

Nintendo

Today's Change

(-2.44%) $-0.27

Current Price

$10.80

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$51B

Day's Range

$10.80 - $10.91

52wk Range

$10.18 - $24.92

Volume

432.8K

Avg Vol

3.3M

Gross Margin

39.17%

Dividend Yield

0.61%

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Should you invest in video game stocks?

Growth in the video game market has slowed in recent years, and there are big questions about the outlook for the broader industry. Global growth in the category has decelerated recently, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content creation tools could present challenges for many players in the space.

On the other hand, it remains to be seen how the rise of AI will affect top companies in the video game industry. AI content-generation tools could allow top developers to reduce production costs, and top companies with strong brands, infrastructure, and distribution advantages could benefit from these new tools. Investors should be selective when investing in video game stocks, but the category has the potential to produce big winners.

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Video game stocks FAQ

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About the Author

Keith Noonan is a contributing writer at The Motley Fool covering technology, consumer goods, and other sectors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College.

TMFNoons

Keith Noonan has positions in Take-Two Interactive Software. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Microsoft and Take-Two Interactive Software. The Motley Fool recommends CD Projekt and Nintendo. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Best Video Game Stocks for 2026 and How to Invest

Key Points

1. Capcom

Key Data Points

2. Take-Two Interactive

Key Data Points

3. Microsoft

Key Data Points

4. CD Projekt

Key Data Points

5. Nintendo

Key Data Points

Should you invest in video game stocks?

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Video game stocks FAQ

Are video game stocks good?

What factors influence the performance of video game stocks?

Do video game stocks pay dividends?

What are some common ETFs for investing in video game stocks?

What factors drive volatility in video game stocks compared to broader markets?

1. Capcom

2. Take-Two Interactive

3. Microsoft

4. CD Projekt

How to invest in video game stocks

Benefits and risks of investing in video game stocks

Should you invest in video game stocks?

Related investing topics

FAQ

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

5. Nintendo

Top video game stocks in 2026

Key Data Points