Live service giants continue to dominate PlayStation and Xbox engagement
Summary
– The top five most played games on PlayStation and Xbox remained unchanged from 2024
– Fortnite, Call of Duty, and GTA V continue to lead player engagement
– Older live service titles account for the majority of console playtime
Player engagement trends across PlayStation and Xbox showed little change in 2025, as the most-played games in the United States mirrored those of the previous year. Data shared by Circana highlighted how established multiplayer titles continue to dominate console playtime.
On PlayStation 5, the top five most played games ranked in the same order as in 2024. Fortnite led the list, followed by Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto V, Roblox, and Minecraft. These rankings were measured using Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, which monitors activity from a consistent panel of players.
Xbox showed a similar pattern, with Fortnite, Call of Duty, GTA V, Minecraft, and Roblox making up the top five. While the order shifted slightly from 2024, the duplicate titles remained firmly in place.
Call of Duty’s continued presence is reinforced by its unified launcher model. Multiple entries, including Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6, and Call of Duty Warzone, are all accessed through a single platform, consolidating player activity under one ecosystem.
Circana analyst Mat Piscatella noted that engagement at the top of the charts has become well established. New releases continue to arrive, but they face difficulty breaking into a space dominated by long running franchises.
Supporting this trend, a prior industry study found that a majority of total playtime comes from games more than five years old. Titles such as Fortnite, GTA V, Minecraft, Roblox, and Call of Duty continue to retain players through frequent updates and ongoing content.
These games are often described as live service platforms rather than traditional releases. Regular updates, seasonal events, and monetization systems provide players with consistent reasons to return.
Holiday data further reinforced their reach, as a significant portion of console users played Fortnite during the Christmas period. The numbers underline how entrenched these games have become across both major console platforms.
