By Grant Taylor-Hill
Publication Date: 2026-03-25 19:30:00
Metacritic has published the 2026 Game Publisher Rankings report, pulling together twelve months of data to recognize the best publishers in the gaming space through 2025. The numbers are undeniable, and standing firm at the top of the table is Square Enix.
Beyond that, we look for the titans, and we see something that some might think is a little surprising. Microsoft, as a publisher, managed to beat Nintendo and absolutely decimate Sony. In the rankings, Microsoft sits in fifth place, while Sony trails far behind in 21st place.
Xbox Beats PlayStation, Which is Rare
In Metacritic’s 2026 Game Publisher Rankings, Sony occupies a woeful 21st place with 268.5 points. It’s an almighty collapse from last year’s report, which revealed Sony as the fourth best-rated publisher of 2024. That year included releases such as Astro Bot, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and a PC port of God of War: Ragnarok.
Unfortunately for Sony, of the 17 products (across 13…
