adminVideo game revenue remained broadly flat year over year in 2025, but December brought notable shifts across major releases and live-service games. New releases recorded a 21.5% revenue increase compared with December 2024, while Newzoo’s holiday-period rankings showed different results for some established franchises than US sales charts did.
Image credit: Activision Blizzard
Video game revenue rankings in December 2025
Live-service titles were among the leading revenue drivers over the Christmas period. Arc Raiders held the No. 3 position in Newzoo’s December revenue charts, while Call of Duty ranked No. 5 and Battlefield placed No. 8. Newzoo market analysis manager Tianyi Gu said both major franchises had “struggled to stand out” during the period.
Newzoo’s figures cover the US, UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. That wider geographic scope helps explain why its rankings may differ from US-only sales reports. For readers comparing charts, it is also important to check whether a ranking measures revenue, units sold, or physical and digital sales together.
Call of Duty and Battlefield had different US results
Although Call of Duty fell to No. 5 in Newzoo’s revenue ranking, Circana reported that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 led US physical and digital sales charts during the holiday period. The figures are not directly interchangeable: one reflects a multi-country revenue ranking, while the other reports US sales performance.
Battlefield 6 was the top-selling game in the US for 2025 by dollar sales, according to Circana, and sold more than seven million units in its first three days. Gu said that when Newzoo’s data from other countries is included, the game appeared to have difficulty sustaining the momentum it achieved at launch. These results underline why regional coverage and the measurement used matter when assessing a game’s performance.
Pokémon and Clair Obscur climb the charts
Pokémon Legends: Z-A rose ten places to No. 11 in Newzoo’s December revenue ranking after the release of its Mega Dimensions DLC. Gu attributed a significant revenue increase to the additional content. The move shows how an expansion can affect a game’s chart position, so a release date is useful context when reviewing monthly rankings.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 also advanced ten places, reaching No. 16. Gu pointed to recognition at The Game Awards and a “thank you” update as factors that helped boost sales.
Fallout interest rises with the TV series
Amazon’s Fallout series premiered its second season on December 16. Newzoo reported that monthly active users for the franchise increased by 42% around the holiday period. Gu noted that this was considerably below the 500% increase seen when the first season was released.
Revenue for the Fallout franchise grew 59% month over month, though Gu said the increase was largely driven by a DLC launch for Fallout 76. This distinction is helpful when interpreting the effect of a TV adaptation: audience interest and game revenue can rise at the same time, but other releases may also contribute to sales.
What the 2025 figures show
Within Newzoo’s tracking scope, total game revenue in 2025 was flat year over year. Revenue from new releases, however, increased 21.5%, supported by major launches including Battlefield 6, Arc Raiders and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Circana separately reported that US video game spending reached $60.7 billion, 1% above 2024.
Overall, video game revenue in December 2025 reflects a mix of strong new releases, live-service performance and renewed interest in established franchises. Comparing results accurately means checking the reporting region, timeframe and metric behind each chart rather than treating every ranking as a direct measure of the same thing.
