This list reflects a combination of total hours played (engagement) and unit sales during the peak holiday month. I had Google's Gemini pull the information together for me. They also provided "Key Context." Below the table is how we (Gemini and I) came to this ranking.
AI is getting very good at data summaries. Of course, this isn't perfect, but it's going to be heads and shoulders above what your average industry analyst can provide.
This is for the US only. Xbox only.
| Rank | Game Title | Key Context |
| 1 | Minecraft | The perennial #1, especially strong during holiday gift-giving. |
| 2 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | Dominant sales and engagement; a staple of the US charts. |
| 3 | Fortnite | Massive engagement driven by end-of-year seasonal events. |
| 4 | Grand Theft Auto V | Continued high engagement and Game Pass availability. |
| 5 | Battlefield 6 | A "return to form" that saw huge holiday sales and high search volume. |
| 6 | Roblox | Extremely high engagement among younger demographics. |
| 7 | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered | The surprise breakout hit of the year; massive nostalgia sales. |
| 8 | Forza Horizon 5 | Remains the gold standard for Xbox racing; high holiday engagement. |
| 9 | Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege | High tactical shooter engagement with new seasonal updates. |
| 10 | Marvel Rivals | The viral free-to-play hero shooter that maintained a steady player base. |
| 11 | Rocket League | A consistent top performer for social and competitive play. |
| 12 | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | The critical darling of the year; high Day One Game Pass engagement. |
| 13 | Halo: The Master Chief Collection | Saw a resurgence in play as fans returned to classics over the break. |
| 14 | Avowed | Obsidian's major RPG hit; very high hours-played-per-user. |
| 15 | DOOM: The Dark Ages | A massive holiday seller for those looking for intense single-player action. |
| 16 | EA Sports FC 26 | Top-tier sports sales, especially during holiday discounts. |
| 17 | Red Dead Redemption 2 | Frequently a top seller during holiday digital sales events. |
| 18 | Halo Infinite | Maintained a top 20 spot thanks to consistent winter updates. |
| 19 | Sea of Thieves | Strong co-op engagement during the "home for the holidays" period. |
| 20 | Hogwarts Legacy | Continued to be a top-gifted title for new console owners. |
Gemini's Methodology:
This list was compiled by cross-referencing several industry-standard metrics to give you the most accurate "big picture" for December 2025.
To get to the top 20, Google's Gemini looked at three main types of data:
Retail & Digital Sales (Circana/NPD): This tracks where Americans spent their actual dollars. It explains why Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Battlefield 6 are so high, they were the massive premium purchases of the holiday season.
Player Engagement (Active Users): This is why games like Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft often sit at the very top. Even if people didn't "buy" them in December, they were the most-played titles on the console.
Platform Specifics (Xbox Store & Game Pass): I factored in the "Most Popular" rankings directly from the Xbox Store, which is why you see The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ranking so well—they were the specific "buzz" titles for the Xbox community this month.
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