Pixel art was certainly out of fashion for a while, but it came back in the 2010s because a) nostalgia, b) a counter-reaction to soul-destroying AAA game busine

Pixel art was certainly out of fashion for a while, but it came back in the 2010s because a) nostalgia, b) a counter-reaction to soul-destroying AAA game business, and c) the rise of indie games thanks to Steam.