“Devil May Cry”
October 20, 2025
Video game IP has become the new source for anime video title production, surpassing comic books. New data from Ampere Analysis has found that game-to-anime commissions jumped 137% in 2024.
With the genre’s growing appeal among gamers, video content producers are tapping game universes to reach established anime viewers and convert gaming audiences into new video fans. The video game-based animation title, “Devil May Cry,” bowed in the global Top 10 on Netflix within the first two weeks of release.
The report found that 35% of internet users aged 18 to 64 are anime fans; 83% of those are active gamers.
Game-based Netflix Original titles, including “Arcane: League of Legends,” based on Riot Games’ online game, were about 40 times as popular as other Netflix original animation titles in Q2 2025.
Anime commissions commissioning is driven by the popularity of gaming among internet users, with 93% of 18-64-year-old respondents to Ampere’s media consumer survey playing games more often than monthly.
For game publishers, licensing video game IP for adaptation can have a significant impact on gaming activity. After the April 2025 launch of the “Devil May Cry” animated series, monthly active users of the game Devil May Cry 5 jumped by 313%, according to according to Ampere’s game title tracking
The expanding anime fanbase presents an increasing opportunity for game-to-animation adaptations, particularly in Europe, according to Ampere. Fast-growing countries include Germany and Finland. Here, the anime fanbase among internet users grew from 23% in Q3 2020 to 26% in Q3 2025, and from 25% in Q3 2020 to 34% in Q3 2025, respectively.
With the expansion of anime fans globally, the pool of gamers who are anime fans for game IP holders to explore will expand. Franchises with strong narratives, such as Final Fantasy or Fire Emblem, are ideal candidates for animation adaptations, according to senior analyst Katie Holt.
“Long-term audience expansion among anime fans and gamers will drive the growth of commissions in the coming years,” Holt said in a statement. “While Japanese content has long been the first choice for adaptation, as anime fandom becomes more globalized, we will see a rise in animated adaptations from other sources – including from Western IP.”
