As we approach the end of 2025, Valve has released a list most popular games on Steam. There are a lot of names on these charts that won't come as a surprise to those who follow gaming news. However, the lists of best-selling, highest-grossing and most popular games contain just as many surprising inclusions, all of which prove that 2025 was an unusual year for the video game industry.
Again, even simple game names seem outlandish when you put them in context. For example, extraction shooter Arc Raiders was certified platinum among both the best new releases and the highest earnings. At first glance this doesn't seem shocking until you think about it. Arc Raiders Available for purchase only for a couple of months!
Indie industries have a strong position on the list most profitable and also, standing face to face with such giants as Battlefield 6 And Borderland 4. What makes games look the way they do? Hollow Knight: Silk Song And Schedule 1 What stands out is that they made money comparable to AAA games despite costing $19.99 and $9.99 respectively. Valve is not disclosing specific numbers here regarding either the number of units or the amount of revenue generated. But you have to imagine that the above games have changed many units to reach the platinum level. Indeed, it's been a good year for games with a typical $69.99 price point, as evidenced by the inclusion of a $39.99 Platinum tier. Elden Ring Nighttrain Also.
And if you're interested: Friendlop sensation Peak and its price of $7.99 also performed well, but it was not enough to achieve the highest possible rank. I'm guessing indie developers Aggro Crab and Landfall Games are still happy to be somewhere high on this list, especially considering both studios are relatively small.
One notable absence from the new Platinum ranks is Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Usually a military shooter appears on every chart imaginable just because it is a COD game. This year, however, Activision's cash cow has been so shaken that the publisher has announced that it will Call of Duty games are no longer released on an annual schedulealternating between the Modern Warfare and Black Ops franchises to avoid additional sequels. We've come a long way from meme about people refusing to play the newest Call of Duty The game is just there to buy it anyway. More importantly: Battlefield 6 finally took the FPS crown.
Another game that performed well without much fanfare was The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Update – but given this we probably still have a long way to go Elder Scrolls 6fans will probably take what they can get. I'm also pleased to see games like Dune: Awakening And Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 also on the list of the most profitable. In case DuneNot only is the popularity unexpected, but it is also clear that there is still more to be squeezed out of the survival genre. And there should be some consolation here anyone who believed Warhorse Studios was robbed at The Game Awards.
What caught me off guard was the list of the most popular Steam games. Names like Grand Craft Auto 5 And Stardew Valley victory was guaranteed. But, damn it, are there really that many people still wasting time on Left 4 Dead 2? In particular, this list represents a huge amount of flexibility for Valve itself, given the emergence of Counter-Strike 2 And Dota 2.
Cyberpunk 2077 I feel outstanding here too. The sci-fi RPG from CD Projekt Red only appears in the gold tier among the best-selling and most popular games, but still. Five years have passed since launch Cyberpunk 2077. AND despite the failed launch that the game was removed from display cases, the more time passes, the more obvious it becomes Cyberpunk 2077 may have a lifespan comparable to The Witcher 3.
You can see the full list of games hereat least theoretically – the page has not been filled since the moment it was opened.
