Data shows that new releases on Steam in 2025 outperformed expectations, securing more spots in the top-grossing charts than the previous year. This shift highlights a stronger performance from fresh titles amid the usual stronghold of established live service games. Analysts suggest a combination of high-quality releases and pricing factors contributed to this trend.
According to analysis by GamesDiscoverCo, Steam's highest-grossing games in 2025 featured 31 titles released in 2025 or 2024, up from 24 the year before. Games from 2025 collectively earned significantly more revenue than those from prior years. Steam ranks titles by tiers based on earnings: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
The Platinum tier included enduring hits like Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, PUBG, and Apex Legends, but eight of its spots went to 2025 newcomers: Monster Hunter Wilds, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Arc Raiders, Marvel Rivals, Battlefield 6, Schedule 1, REPO, and Call of Duty— the latter boosted by a technical update to an app format.
In Gold, standouts were Borderlands 4, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Split Fiction, Elden Ring Nightrein, The Elder Scrolls Oblivion remaster, and EA Sports FC 26. Silver tier highlights included Dune: Awakening, Silksong, Civ 7, Inzoi, Delta Force, Dispatch, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Stellar Blade, Peak, and Where Winds Meet.
This performance counters a broader market trend of stagnation, as PlayStation data revealed the most-played games in 2025 mirrored 2024's: Fortnite, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto 5, Roblox, and Minecraft. Simon Carless of GamesDiscoverCo noted, "It's more front-loaded for recency than we expected. Why would this be? It's possible that 2025 was just a super-strong year for new games." He added that discounts on older titles might have played a role, suggesting "It's probably.. a combo of these things?"
Veteran games like Warframe and Dead by Daylight maintained Gold-tier status for four years. Baldur's Gate 3 dropped to Gold from Platinum, while Cyberpunk 2077 held Gold five years post-launch, with CD Projekt Red reporting 35 million copies sold.