The more things change, the more they stay the same. Now that 2025 is over, we can look back and pick the best games of the year. While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept all the awards, including the big one at The Game Awards 2025, it wasn't exactly the most played game on PlayStation or Xbox consoles.
We know that multiplayer games will always take the cake when it comes to the most played games, but what most of us might not have expected is that 2025's list would be exactly the same as 2024's. According to Circana's Mat Piscatella, the top five most played games in the US were exactly the same for both the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.
The list of most played console games from 2025 is the same as 2024
Both lists were ranked by percentage of active panel playing, and consisted of Fortnite, Call of Duty, GTA 5, Roblox and Minecraft. The PlayStation list for both 2024 and 2025 featured these games in exactly the same order, while that for Xbox saw some movement in the order. Call of Duty and Fortnite switched places, with the latter taking over the top spot, while Minecraft and GTA 5 also switched places in 2025.
2025 Top 5 Most Played Games on US PlayStation ranked by % of active panel playing: 1 – Fortnite 2 – Call of Duty 3 – GTAV 4 – Roblox 5 – Minecraft Same list for 2024: 1 – Fortnite 2 – Call of Duty 3 – GTAV 4 – Roblox 5 – Engagement Players – Minscat Players – Minscat. (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) January 6, 2026 at 20.50
It makes sense that all of these would be live service games. While Clair Obscur and other single player games have swept all the awards, the replay value of the games on the list is obviously much higher. However, this list is unlikely to remain the same in 2026 if Arc Raiders continues on the path it is on.
The Gamer Game of the Year – 2025
It's been 12 months of unexpected encounters, leading to a rather expected conclusion. Continue in 2026!
Embark's extraction game has eclipsed Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as the biggest shooter released in 2025, but its late October 2025 release date hasn't given it enough time to make a dent in the “most played” list just yet. If it manages to keep the momentum going and keep things fresh, there's a chance it could enter the exclusive club. Although it will take a lot of work to topple any of these five.
- Released
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September 26, 2017
- ESRB
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T for Teens – Diverse Content: Discretion Advice, In-Game Purchases, User Interact
