Welcome to Game-Changing Style's first year in review of the world of fashion within gaming.
This report highlights pivotal moments of style within gaming, and what this means for the future of video game fashion.
From the emotional connection Gen Z has to their in-game avatars to successful fashion brand and game partnerships, our 2024 report includes a spectrum of information, statistics and predictions that will follow us into the new year.
Report Overview:
Key Statistics from 2024: Learn about the key takeaways from this past year, including the revival of the dress-up game in Roblox's Dress to Impress.
Fashion & Gaming Milestones: Which brand and game partnerships made gaming style history this year?
Challenges & Opportunities Ahead: There's still a lot of work to be done when it comes to video game fashion, and we've highlighted the most important topics to tackle in the 2025 year.
2025 Trend Predictions: While video games have their own trends and styles, we've collected a list of potential in-game aesthetics we'll see popping up in the new year, based on video games set to release in 2025.
Key Statistics from 2024:
2024 marked a year of significant evolution for fashion and gaming, demonstrated by a series of collaborations and advancements in the digital fashion world. Luxury brands increasingly engaged with gaming platforms, leading to a notable rise in brand activations and in-game fashions. This year underscored the growing importance of digital fashion as a distinct segment, within both the gaming and fashion industries.
• Dress Up Games Take the Lead: Roblox’s Dress to Impress hit 1 million concurrent players in October of 2024. New open world dress up game Infinity Nikki boasts 20 million downloads in its first week after release.
• Virtual Fashion Sales: Roblox reports 1.1 billion virtual goods purchased in H1 2-24 (as of August, 2024).
• Generation Z’s Emotional Connection: A study conducted in September of 2024 observed that all of its participants had a strong emotional attachment to their online selves, and found that it is vital for brands to connect to this generation through gamified experiences.
• Luxury Brand Collaborations: Highlights of 2024 include Coach’s presence on Zepeto and the launch of Muus Collective's Bellemint.
Fashion & Gaming Milestones:
Already marked by profound interactions between established fashion houses and popular gaming platforms, fashion in gaming has had quite the year. By mid-2024, virtual environments on Roblox and Fortnite have proven critical in connecting brands with gamers. User-generated content has continued to empower and play a role in avatar customization popularity, with the importance of virtual wardrobes seamlessly integrating fashion into the gaming experience.
COACH on Zepeto:
In 2024, Coach launched its "Find Your Courage" campaign on Zepeto, using interactive tools to promote self-expression through fashion. The campaign included a special interactive video booth in Zepeto’s "Colorful World," where users could style their avatars with Coach’s Spring 2024 collection. Coach also introduced limited-edition virtual items, becoming the first luxury brand to do so, and created a store within Zepeto for users to purchase digital versions of their iconic pieces.
Muus Collective's Bellemint Launch:
This innovative mobile game for REVOLVE, launched on October 29, 2024, brought fashion to life by combining in-game rewards with real-world purchases. Players could earn digital items based on their purchases from brands like A.L.C. and Bronx and Banco. The game’s success lies in its ability to allow users to directly purchase corresponding real-world fashion items, thus fostering a deeper connection between virtual and physical wardrobes. A planned integration with Revolve’s loyalty program in 2025 is expected to further drive user engagement.
Infinity Nikki:
Gucci significantly expanded its partnership with Roblox by creating Gucci Town—a dynamic virtual space where users could explore and engage with digital fashion collections. The virtual fashion items, including exclusive accessories and clothing, drew from real-world Gucci designs. Interactive events, such as scavenger hunts and mini-games, allowed players to earn in-game currency to purchase Gucci items.
Dress to Impress on Roblox:
Dress to Impress, a popular fashion game on Roblox, reached new heights in 2024 with exciting updates that expanded its virtual fashion offerings. The introduction of DTI Codes unlocked exclusive items such as the Star Bag and Gold Crown, further fueling creativity. The game's new challenges and timed competitions saw significant interaction from players, particularly driven by celebrity collaborations such as Charli XCX’s Brat collection.
Challenges & Opportunities Ahead:
Despite remarkable growth, several challenges remain plaguing the crossover from digital fashion into the video game world:
Interoperability:
A key hurdle is the lack of compatibility across gaming platforms. As players invest in digital wardrobes, they expect seamless access to their virtual items across different games. Overcoming this will require a unified digital asset infrastructure.
Sustainability:
With the rise of digital fashion, there is growing scrutiny over the environmental impact of virtual goods. Brands must address these concerns and adopt sustainable practices to align with eco-conscious consumers. The inclusion of AI programs and engines within the gaming industry has continued to be a controversial movement, as its environmental and eco-socio impacts have worrying repercussions.
However, the potential for growth remains vast, offering new opportunities:
Expansion of Digital Marketplaces:
The growth of dedicated digital marketplaces for buying and selling fashion items presents a promising avenue for both brands and consumers.
Enhanced User Engagement:
Leveraging emerging technologies like customized personalization, game-specific aesthetics and augmented reality can deepen interactions between users and digital fashion brands.
Emerging new platforms:
While Roblox and Fortnite are pioneers in the brand collaboration world, there are other games evolving to support the fashion-forward gaming community.
ZEPETO : With it’s user-generated fashions and social elements, styles in this mobile game will likely become more and more tied to online social status and community driven trends. With it’s potential in creating in-game virtual fashion events, this is a game to definitely keep an eye on.
SIMS 4 : Earlier in 2024 The Sims 4 announced they would be collaborating with custom content creators to develop fashion and item packs that will be sold as add-ons to the game. This opens a new market for brands or designers to collaborate either with The Sims directly or with custom content creators in designing unique and credible collections.
INFINITY NIKKI : Revolutionizing the dress-up world, Infinity Nikki represents a bold new direction fashion in gaming can take. While brand collaborations within the actual game isn’t open enough to begin a conversation, this new game concept could be a great place of inspiration for any brands interested in developing their own clothing focused video games.
Game Driven Fashion Trends:
Community driven fashion trends are growing across all platforms, gaming included. Platforms like Roblox and Fortnite or game-centric groups on Discord and Reddit are developing their own styles and aesthetics that have less crossover to the mainstream than one might imagine. It's worth exploring how these communities influence in-game fashion trends, with user-created content shaping the market and setting new fashion directions.
User-Created Fashion Items: UGC content has taken the digital world by storm, and shows no signs of slowing. Keep an eye on the styles and top sellers in virtual marketplaces, or what pieces are trending within online communities - there you will find the next styles within specific games.
Fashion Competitions and Challenges: Platforms like Roblox and Zepeto often host fashion competitions and design challenges, where players compete to create the most stylish or innovative digital outfits. These competitions can rapidly spread across the community, creating flash trends that dominate the virtual world. For instance, players may be tasked with creating a look based on a theme (e.g., “streetwear chic” or “visual kei”), sparking a wave of similar fashion pieces inspired by the challenge. Online dress-up games are particularly vital to watch out for when looking at what flash trends might pop up throughout the rest of the gaming platform worlds.
2025 Trend Predictions:
Grounded Realism:
With the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto 6, a notable shift in video game fashion trends is on the horizon for 2025. Developers and character designers are expected to take a grounded approach, moving away from the futuristic, sci-fi-inspired styles that have dominated recent years. Instead, they will draw heavily from the gritty, streetwear-inspired aesthetics of urban environments, infusing digital wardrobes with the raw, unpolished edge of real-life street culture, even reaching for apocalyptic styles or dieselpunk aesthetics.
Realistic Textures and Layering: Expect detailed clothing textures, like distressed denim, graphic tees, oversized hoodies, bomber jackets, and puffer coats. These styles will emphasize a lived-in aesthetic, reminiscent of fashion staples seen on bustling city streets.
Dynamic Wardrobes: Games may integrate mechanics where characters' clothing evolves alongside the narrative, showing wear and tear or adapting to their environment, such as swapping high-end suits for street-smart gear in survival scenarios.
Gaming Meets Grunge: The early 90s were defined by the rise of grunge, and this aesthetic—plaid shirts, ripped jeans, and combat boots—could see a resurgence in virtual wardrobes, merging seamlessly with the streetwear vibe.
Esports, the New Pastime:
Despite it’s past fluctuations with branded collaborations, we see Esports becoming a dominating force in the fashion and gaming world within the next upcoming years. 2025 will see Esports being officially inaugurated into the Olympics, and we predict with it will come a shift in the fashion and styles we see within the most popular Esports games. With League of Legends’ Arcane leading the charge, and the high styles and fashions seen worn by casters and performers at Esports events, this dynamic new sport is solidifying itself as a major player in global entertainment, transcending its niche origins to become a cultural and economic juggernaut.
Players as Influencers: We have already seen the rise in popularity of Esports teams and players, like League of Legends star Martin 'Rekkles' Larsson being named a ‘gamefluencer’ after being spotted in the Ralph Lauren Wimbledon campaign in 2021. With current top League of Legends player Fakker having appeared in GQ in 2023, we predict that more Esports celebrities will be spotted in fashion-forward attires.
Crossover Appeal: Esports’ influence extends into music, film, and other entertainment sectors, creating a fertile ground for cross-industry partnerships.
Sustainability Initiatives: With increasing scrutiny on environmental impacts, esports events and merchandise may integrate eco-friendly practices, appealing to a generation that values sustainability.
The Power of UGC:
User-Generate content has been around since the early days of The Sims, with current platforms such as Roblox or Minecraft only driving the concept forward, Gen Z and Alpha leading the charge. By giving users the tools to shape their own experiences, games are evolving into dynamic ecosystems where customization, collaboration, and commerce thrive. 2025 will only expand on this momentum as gaming platforms continue to embrace the creativity of their communities, as we have seen with The Sims 4's announcement of collaborating with fan content creators.
Accessible Creation Tools: We will see more developers investing in intuitive design kits that make it easier for players of all skill levels to craft their own content, from custom game worlds to unique avatar designs. These tools democratize creation, ensuring that anyone can contribute to a game’s ecosystem.
Customization as a Core Feature: Games are increasingly integrating systems that allow fans to create and share their designs directly within the game. We might see more games including tools for designing virtual fashion, modifying in-game assets, or even developing mini-games within the larger platform.
Collaborative Game Building: Players are coming together to co-create expansive worlds and intricate games. These collaborations often become community-driven phenomena, attracting more users and inspiring new trends.
Summary:
Key Statistics from 2024: Virtual fashion continues to thrive. Roblox's Dress to Impress demonstrated their staying power with 1 million users jumping into the game after their Christmas update. Infinity Nikki made nearly USD 15 million in its first month. Generation Z's emotional attachment to their avatars is stronger than ever, as games introduce bigger and better customizable options.
Fashion & Gaming Milestones: Roblox and Fortnite soldified their status as critical platforms for brands to connect with gamers. However, platforms like Zepeto or Muus Collective's Bellemint have shown this year that there are new options out there for brands looking into gamification, as well as celebrity moments becoming the highlight of the virtual runway shows, with Dress to Impress's Brat collections and update.
Challenges & Opportunities Ahead: Digital fashion and gaming crossovers still have quite a number of challenges that needs addressing, such as the interoperability of gaming assets, and sustainability as environmental concerns grow across both industries. Despite these hurdles, new and dynamic opportunities appear in the rising inclusion of in-game marketplaces, personalized gaming experiences and emerging platforms.
2025 Predictions: Grounded realism and innovative creativity will be all the rage in 2025's gaming scene. With the long awaited release of Grand Theft Auto 6, we'll see a shift towards gritty, streetwear aesthetics, paired with apocalyptic styles and textures. Esports will see a rise in popularity with it's debut as an Olympic game, cementing its cultural influence. User-generated content will continue to thrive, as new creations tools will see a mainstream shift, allowing for players to curate their own gaming experiences more than ever.
Despite major layoffs, cruel crunch times and game award controversies, the gaming industry continued to dominate pop culture and media in 2024. The staying power of the designs, aesthetics and collaborations we saw throughout this year will surely bleed into the next. As we approach 2025, the gaming industry is poised to further integrate with fashion, entertainment, and technology, paving the way for unprecedented opportunities in collaboration and innovation. This moment invites both brands and players to rethink the boundaries of what gaming can achieve when it comes to fashion, style and aesthetic, ensuring its relevance across generations to come.
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