Highlights
- Battlefield 6 and EA Sports FC 26 dominated the Year Ender 2025 revenue charts.
- The gaming industry hit a record $197 billion in this Year Ender 2025 market analysis.
- Year Ender 2025 data shows PC gamers favored shooters, while console users preferred sports.
The video game industry experienced a historic resurgence in 2025, shattering revenue expectations to reach a global market value of $197 billion USD. According to the latest data from industry analyst Newzoo, this 7.5% year-on-year growth was fueled largely by a "premium renaissance" on PC and a stable, sports-dominated console market.
The year’s financial success was defined by a clear split in player spending habits. PC gamers flocked to new intellectual properties and high-octane shooters, while console players doubled down on annualized sports franchises and established blockbusters. Below are the top 10 highest-grossing games for PC and Consoles in 2025, based on revenue data from Newzoo, Circana, and other industry reports.
Top 10 Highest-Grossing PC Games in 2025
The PC market saw a 10.4% revenue increase this year, driven by premium releases and games that require an upfront purchase rather than relying solely on microtransactions. Shooters and cooperative multiplayer games occupied the majority of the top spots, with Newzoo reports highlighting this genre as the primary driver of PC revenues in early 2025.
10. Dune: Awakening
Funcom’s open-world survival MMO, set on the desert planet of Arrakis, rounded out the top 10, hitting 1M sales milestones. Dune: Awakening benefited from the massive cultural footprint of the Dune film franchise. The game’s emphasis on social interaction, base building, and political intrigue attracted a diverse player base, generating $209.9 M in revenue streams through both initial sales and in-game cosmetic purchases.
9. Sid Meier's Civilization VII
Strategy games have always found their home on PC, and Civilization VII was no exception, thriving in simulation slots per Newzoo genre breakdowns. The latest iteration of the 4X franchise generated significant revenue not just from unit sales but also from its premium "Founders Editions". The game’s depth and replayability ensured it remained a top seller for months after its February release, and it generated $97M in revenue.
8. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Bethesda’s nostalgia-fueled project, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, tapped into a massive audience of RPG veterans. Released in April 2025, the game utilized Unreal Engine 5 to modernize the classic title while retaining its original charm. Direct sales on Steam were high enough to push it into the eighth spot and generated $105.4M in revenue, reported by App2top, proving that single-player RPGs remain a lucrative sector.
Steam
7. R.E.P.O.
Another indie success story, R.E.P.O. (a cooperative survival horror game), proved that lower-budget titles could compete with industry giants. Released in early 2025, the game sold an estimated 13.4 million copies, generating approximately over $100M in revenue, as reported by Alinea Analytics. It shines in Newzoo's adventure rankings alongside top PC earners like Monster Hunter Wilds, and its viral popularity on streaming platforms sustained its sales momentum throughout the year.
6. EA Sports FC 26
While traditionally a console heavyweight, EA Sports FC 26 saw unprecedented growth on PC this year. Despite technical hurdles at launch, the football simulator ranked sixth in premium PC revenue, bridging the gap between PC and console with soccer sim depth that mirrors sports genre strength. The increased optimization for high-end graphics cards and the integration of cross-play features allowed PC players to compete seamlessly with console users, significantly boosting the platform's share of Ultimate Team microtransactions.
5. Borderlands 4
Gearbox Software returned to its loot-shooter roots with Borderlands 4, delivering exactly what fans wanted: billions of guns and chaotic co-op action. The title performed exceptionally well on the Epic Games Store and Steam. It generated $120.8M in revenue. Benefiting from a strong marketing campaign and a lack of direct competition in the looter-shooter genre during its release window, it cemented its status as a top earner.
epic games
4. Monster Hunter: Wilds
Capcom’s latest entry in the beast-hunting franchise was a critical and commercial juggernaut, leading role-playing revenues across key markets. Monster Hunter Wilds sold 8M copies in its first three days, making it the fastest-selling title of the year until Battlefield 6 arrived. The game’s expanded open-world mechanics and cross-play features kept engagement high, driving $69M in revenue, as reported by Game World observer.
3. Arc Raiders
Embark Studios’ free-to-play extraction shooter Arc Raiders successfully pivoted to a premium model before launch, a move that paid off immensely. The game resonated with core shooter fans, generating substantial revenue through its upfront cost and cosmetic battle passes. As reported by Sensor Tower, it generated $252M in lifetime revenue. Arc Raiders also ranked consistently in the top sellers on Steam, fitting the shooter dominance Newzoo notes for PC revenues in 2025.
2. Schedule 1
The surprise indie hit of the year, Schedule 1, defied all odds to secure the second spot on the PC charts. Developed by TVGS, this drug-manufacturing simulation game leveraged a unique premise and deep management mechanics to captivate millions. It has sold 8M copies and generated $125M in revenue. Its premium price point and high retention rates pushed its revenue well above traditional AAA competitors.
1. Battlefield 6
Electronic Arts’ military shooter reclaimed the throne as the undisputed king of PC gaming in 2025. Following a record-breaking October launch, Battlefield 6 is the #1 top-selling game on Steam, reaching over 600k pre-orders. The game’s return to a modern setting and its polished, destruction-heavy multiplayer experience helped it surpass all competitors in total player spending.
Steam
Top 10 Highest-Grossing Console Games in 2025
The console market in 2025 was a story of brand loyalty and sports dominance. While growth was slower compared to PC at 4.2%, the sheer volume of sales on PlayStation 5 and the new Nintendo Switch 2 kept revenues high.
10. Borderlands 4
Just as it did on PC, Borderlands 4 found a healthy audience on consoles, vaulting to tenth with its cross-platform vault-hunting sealing dual-list success. Split-screen co-op functionality, a feature often neglected in modern shooters, helped it perform well on PlayStation and Xbox, as it generated $150M in revenue. It served as a go-to title for social gaming, capping off the list of the year’s most successful console releases.
9. Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Nintendo’s powerhouse franchise made a splash with Pokémon Legends: Z-A, leveraging Nintendo's enduring appeal despite digital exclusions. The game was a significant driver for the new Nintendo Switch 2, with reports indicating that roughly half of its sales came from the new hardware. Its experimental gameplay loop and urban setting offered a fresh take on the series, securing its place in the top 10 despite being a single-platform exclusive.
8. Ghost of Yōtei
Sony’s major first-party exclusive for the year, Ghost of Yōtei, proved to be a critical and commercial darling, landing in year-end top 10s with Sony-exclusive polish. Released in October, the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima sold 3.3M copies in its first month alone. Sony confirmed the title was a "major hit", helping drive PlayStation 5 hardware sales past the 84 million unit mark globally.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
7. EA Sports College Football 26
The return of collegiate football video games was a cultural event in the US. EA Sports College Football 26 tapped into decades of pent-up demand. It sold millions of copies purely on nostalgia and the excitement of playing as university teams again, generating $384M in revenue, as reported by 1V1ME, which rivaled established professional sports titles.
6. Assassin's Creed Shadows
Ubisoft finally took the franchise to Feudal Japan, and the decision paid off. Assassin's Creed Shadows was the highest-grossing non-sports game on consoles for 2025, blending adventure with the genre's 17% console share noted in reports. Despite online discourse, the game "over-performed" financially, with Ubisoft reporting a 39% year-on-year increase in franchise net bookings during the launch quarter. The dual-protagonist structure and the refreshed stealth mechanics resonated strongly with the console player base.
5. MLB The Show 25
Sony’s baseball simulation, MLB The Show 25, rounded out the top five, remaining a baseball mainstay in sports-heavy console revenues per Newzoo trends. Uniquely, its availability on Xbox and Nintendo platforms via Game Pass and direct sales maximized its reach. The game’s "Diamond Dynasty" mode continued to be a major revenue driver, proving that baseball has a highly engaged and spending-ready audience.
Ubisoft
4. EA Sports Madden NFL 26
Continuing the trend of sports dominance, Madden NFL 26 secured the fourth position, riding the waves of the American football season. American football remains a colossal market in the United States, and this year’s entry saw a boost in sales due to improved physics engines and a revamped franchise mode that brought lapsed players back into the fold. It sold 1.4 million units within its first 24 hours.
3. Battlefield 6
While it topped the PC charts, Battlefield 6 settled for third place on consoles, proving shooters' massive console pull in a year of franchise dominance. Following a record-breaking October launch, Battlefield 6 sold over 20M copies worldwide by year's end. Reports from Alinea Analytics indicate the game generated over $350M in gross revenue within its first week. The game’s distinct absence of a single-player campaign did not hinder its sales, as the multiplayer component attracted over 26M players across all platforms combined.
2. NBA 2K26
Close behind in the second spot was NBA 2K26. Visual Concepts’ basketball sim maintained its stranglehold on the North American market, becoming a Circana staple in top U.S. sellers alongside Battlefield 6. The introduction of new "Era" modes and enhanced monetization in the MyCareer feature propelled its earnings, making it a staple in the libraries of millions of console owners. It was the No. 1 seller on both PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
1. EA Sports FC 26
The global obsession with football kept EA Sports FC 26 firmly at the number one spot on consoles, with Newzoo crowning it the platform's top revenue driver. It was the highest-grossing game across PlayStation and Xbox, driven by the perennial popularity of the Ultimate Team mode and annual updates ensuring habitual play across millions of users. It has sold 5.5M copies on PlayStation in just its first week. The game’s ability to monetize user engagement year-round continues to make it the industry’s most consistent financial performer.
