The usual blockbuster games didn’t end up on the podium this time. Instead, two new titles that have recently shown dominant performance took the top spots.
The multiplayer shooter genre is changing. In 2025, players encountered games in which brutal competition was replaced by friendlier, more chaotic shooters that were better suited to casual players. Players seem to be welcoming the new order, as two calm games dominated the sales charts around Christmas: These two games are Arc Raiders and Battlefield 6. SteamDB compiled these statistics and a list of the ten best-selling games from December 23 to December 30 (excluding free-to-play games).
There are many familiar names on the list, including the award-winning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33; the excellent Baldur’s Gate 3; and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. There are also a few games that we assumed would always be bestsellers, such as Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Edition and EA Sports FC 26. The Steam Deck squeezed into second place between the two, but Arc Raiders took first place, followed by Battlefield 6 in third. These two shooters offer relatively intense, competitive styles (extraction and modern military), but they won’t make you break a sweat. Battlefield 6 lacks a competitive ranked mode, and Arc Raiders has found success in a genre previously known primarily for niche, hardcore games.
SteamDB has an extended list of 100 games ranging from the indie co-op hit RV There Yet? to two Assassin’s Creed games. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora ranks 19th, ahead of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Elden Ring: Nightmare. This is likely due to the popularity of the film franchise, which brings in hundreds of millions of dollars every time a new film is released, and that happened recently.
Source: PCGamer, Steam, SteamDB
