The Most Popular Games on PlayStation and Xbox in the US Remain Unchanged from 2024 to 2025

A notable trend is emerging in the gaming world: the most-played titles on PlayStation and Xbox are predominantly multiplayer, online, live-service games that aren’t necessarily “new” in the conventional sense. Mat Piscatella shared insights indicating that the top five most-played games for PlayStation and Xbox in the US for 2025 mirrored those of 2024, with the PS5 rankings remaining unchanged. The leading games on PS5 were Fortnite, Call of Duty, GTA V, Roblox, and Minecraft, listed in that order. This consistency was confirmed by Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, which relies on an “active panel” of players.

On Xbox, the top five most-played games for 2025 were also led by Fortnite, followed by Call of Duty, GTA V, Minecraft, and Roblox. The 2024 rankings for Xbox were slightly different, featuring Call of Duty, Fortnite, Minecraft, GTA V, and Roblox. Call of Duty’s strong presence in the rankings is due in part to multiple titles being bundled under a single launcher. Currently, the COD HQ launcher includes the latest installment, Black Ops 7, along with last year’s Black Ops 6 and the free-to-play sensation Call of Duty: Warzone. Piscatella noted that the key takeaway is that “things are a bit established at the top.”

This analysis aligns with a 2024 study from Newzoo, which revealed that 60% of gaming time in 2023 was spent on titles over five years old, such as Fortnite, GTA V, Call of Duty, Roblox, and Minecraft. These games have been dubbed “black hole” titles because they consume significant amounts of time, attention, and money, making it tough for newcomers to break through. While games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox may not be “new,” they are live-service experiences that regularly introduce fresh content, encouraging players to return and invest. During the Christmas holiday week in the US, one in three gamers who powered on their PlayStation or Xbox chose to dive into Fortnite.