How we track
Every series has a rhythm.
Most game franchises release on a beat — every couple of years, give or take. Franchise Watch listens for that beat, then tells you where each series is in its cycle: fresh off a launch, or long overdue for the next one.
Where the numbers come from
I pull every release from IGDB, the open video game database. I only count mainline entries — the numbered sequels and major installments. Remasters, ports, DLC, expansions, and season passes are left out, because they don't tell you the series is truly moving forward.
What counts as a release
I skip anything that was mobile-only — the iOS and Android spin-offs. If a console or PC game later picked up a phone port, it still counts. This keeps the timeline focused on the releases most people mean when they talk about a franchise.
The math, briefly
For each series I measure the gap between every mainline release and take the median — the typical wait. Using the median instead of a straight average means one freakishly long or short gap can't skew the whole picture.
Then I compare how long it's been since the last game to that typical wait. That ratio — how far into the expected cycle we are — is what sorts each franchise into a stage.
The five stages
- Fresh0–25%
A new entry just landed. You're at the start of the cycle.
- Ripe25–60%
Mid-cycle. Historically, this is when the next game is deep in development.
- Stale60–95%
Late-cycle. The series is closing in on its usual release window.
- Dusty95%+
Overdue, or right on the edge. A new entry is due — or the series has gone quiet.
- Unknown—
Only one release so far. There's no rhythm to measure yet.
Percentages are how far a series is through its typical release cycle. A franchise with only one release stays Unknown until there's a second to measure against.