Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto V maintained their dominance as the most-played games on US consoles in 2025, according to Circana's Player Engagement Tracker. The top five titles remained unchanged from 2024 across both PlayStation and Xbox platforms, revealing a stagnant competitive landscape for new releases.
Circana analyst Mat Piscatella shared the data via Bluesky, showing Fortnite secured the top position on both PlayStation and Xbox in the US market. Call of Duty ranked second on both platforms, followed by Grand Theft Auto V in third place. Roblox and Minecraft completed the top five, swapping fourth and fifth positions between consoles.
On PlayStation, the 2025 ranking mirrored 2024 exactly: Fortnite, Call of Duty, GTA V, Roblox, then Minecraft. Xbox showed minor variation, with Fortnite climbing to first place from second in 2024, while Call of Duty dropped from first to second position year-over-year. The same five games occupied both platform lists for the second consecutive year.
These titles represent established live-service games with continuous content updates rather than traditional annual releases. Fortnite, the youngest at eight years old since its 2017 launch, generated over $5 billion in its first year and continues regular seasonal updates. GTA V has shipped over 220 million units across three console generations, with GTA Online maintaining an active player base.
The consistency highlights what industry analysts call "black hole" games that absorb significant player time, attention, and spending. A 2024 Newzoo study found 60% of 2023 gaming playtime went to titles over five years old, including these same five franchises. During the 2025 Christmas holiday week, one in three US PlayStation and Xbox users played Fortnite.
Call of Duty's aggregated ranking includes multiple titles through the COD HQ launcher, combining Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6, and free-to-play Warzone. Despite criticism of Black Ops 7's campaign and Battlefield 6's emergence as 2025's best-selling premium title in the US, the franchise maintains strong engagement through its free component.
The data suggests formidable barriers for new live-service games attempting to break into the top tier. Major 2025 releases like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 achieved critical success but couldn't displace the established leaders. Industry observers question whether 2026 will see any disruption to this entrenched hierarchy.
Ubisoft continues pursuing live-service opportunities despite previous failures, while Respawn Entertainment's Highguard shooter announced at The Game Awards 2025 represents another attempt to challenge the status quo. With GTA 6 scheduled for November 2026 after multiple delays, the industry watches whether Rockstar's next entry can reshape the competitive landscape.
