The world's biggest tabletop company just posted record numbers, but the part board gamers should care about is tucked into the small print. Asmodee, the publisher and distributor behind Catan, Ticket to Ride and Azul, saw sales of its own board games fall this year even as overall revenue climbed to a record €1.68bn. Where that money comes from says a lot about where the hobby is heading.
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Start organising for freeAccording to industry trade site BoardGameWire, Asmodee's revenue for the financial year ending 31 March 2026 rose 23% to €1.68bn, and 72% of that now comes from distributing other companies' games rather than publishing its own, up from 63% a year earlier. Trading card games make up roughly 60% of net sales, up from just over half a year earlier, powered by Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Disney Lorcana and One Piece. Asmodee's own board game arm, by contrast, saw net sales dip 5.8% across the year and 9.8% in the latest quarter. The report flagged that pricier board games are softening while cheaper social games hold up well.
CEO Thomas Koegler framed that breadth as a strength, calling Asmodee's "global reach across all categories" the company's "superpower." For players the question is more pointed: if trading cards are what pay the bills, will the publishers we rely on keep backing the chunky strategy games we love? For now the figures suggest people are reaching for affordable party and social games over £60 boxes. The big-box euro game is far from dead, but the titles filling tables right now are often the quick, cheap, get-everyone-laughing kind. If that is your scene, round up a group and put those social games to work.
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Find events near youSources: BoardGameWire
