The year 2025 has been a whirlwind of exciting game releases, bringing titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei, and Donkey Kong Bananza into the spotlight. Yet, despite these fresh entries, players in the US have shown a surprising trend: sticking to their tried-and-true favorites. Astonishingly, the top five PlayStation games of 2025 mirror those of the previous year, highlighting a persistent preference for familiar titles.
Top PlayStation Games Remain Unchanged
Reports suggest that Circana analyst Mat Piscatella shared data revealing the most-played games on PlayStation in the US for 2025:
- Fortnite
- Call of Duty
- GTA V
- Roblox
- Minecraft
These are identical to the top games of 2024, showing a consistent pattern in player preferences.
(They’re the same picture.)
On Xbox, the list is slightly altered with Minecraft and Roblox swapping places for 2025, while the 2024 lineup had Call of Duty leading, followed by Fortnite, Minecraft, GTA V, and Roblox. However, the core group of games remains unchanged.
The Impact of Live Service Games
This trend indicates a significant shift in the gaming industry. Piscatella noted that such consistency is a recent development, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, which expanded the gaming audience significantly. Consequently, major gaming markets have reached a saturation point, limiting the influx of new players. Players are now engaging with fewer games overall, often sticking to live service titles where they can enjoy ongoing experiences without hefty new purchases.
The prevalence of live service games has changed traditional gaming habits. Instead of purchasing the latest releases, players are dedicating substantial playtime to a select few games. Piscatella highlighted that, on platforms like PlayStation and Xbox, the top service games account for 40% of total playtime each month.
Statistics further reveal a cautious spending approach among gamers. As of recent estimates, 30% of video game enthusiasts may not purchase any new games in 2025. Meanwhile, another 18% are expected to buy a new game only once every six months, leaving a mere 16% who purchase frequently. This reality puts significant pressure on developers targeting this small, active segment.
Challenges for New Game Releases
The reluctance of players to explore new games poses challenges for developers and publishers. It’s increasingly difficult for fresh titles to gain traction, a factor contributing to industry hurdles such as layoffs, studio closures, and project cancellations in recent years. Piscatella emphasized, “The biggest competitor to any new video game is Fortnite.”
Circana is poised to release its comprehensive report on US video game sales for 2025 shortly, which will provide further insights into these trends.