Ecosystem health score
0
out of 100
0100
2026 projected67– range 58–75
Competitive pinball is thriving — unique players grew 12.4% year over year, with tournament count up 10.5% year over year.
Ecosystem health score
2026 projected67– range 58–75
Competitive pinball is thriving — unique players grew 12.4% year over year, with tournament count up 10.5% year over year.
Started 2024 with 38,908 players. Lost 20,456 (53% churn), gained 25,288. Ended 2025 with 43,740 (+4,832, +12.4%).
IFPA is on track for ~15,295 tournaments in 2026, up 8.4% from 2025’s 14,113. Range runs 14,100–16,707 at 68% confidence.
Based on 4 months of data
Last 12 months: 4,847 events · -1.6% vs prior year.
Peak Apr 26 · 1,391
May 2025 – Apr 2026
Change since Feb 5
| Year | Tournaments | Entries | Unique Players | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 4,723 | 113,825 | 19,392 | 46.3% |
| 2018 | 5,544 | 129,975 | 21,306 | 46.9% |
| 2019 | 7,200 | 168,546 | 24,380 | 49.3% |
| 2020 | 1,540 | 35,891 | 11,403 | 76.3% |
| 2021 | 2,346 | 52,533 | 13,041 | 43.9% |
| 2022 | 7,724 | 180,021 | 24,721 | 37.2% |
| 2023 | 10,323 | 246,763 | 32,976 | 27.9% |
| 2024 | 12,776 | 291,118 | 38,908 | 37.7% |
| 2025 | 14,113 | 319,760 | 43,740 | 42.2% |
| 2026est. | ~15,295 | ~61,941 | — | — |
2026 projected from 4 months of data (range: 14,100–16,707 tournaments). Player data not yet available from IFPA.
Health score is the equal-weighted average of player growth, retention, and tournament growth.