Arc Raiders leads Steam’s Christmas sales as casual shooters redefine the meta

Arc Raiders tops Steam’s week-long Christmas chart, with Battlefield 6 close behind, amid a broader shift toward more approachable multiplayer experiences.

Jan 1, 2026
PC & Console
Arc Raiders leads Steam’s Christmas sales as casual shooters redefine the meta

Arc Raiders was Steam's best-selling game the week of Christmas, with Battlefield 6 not far behind, according to SteamDB’s tally of the top ten best-selling titles (excluding free-to-play) from December 23 through December 30.

This snapshot aligns with a broader shift in multiplayer shooters toward more approachable, chaotic experiences. PC Gamer’s Morgan Park described 2025 as a year where players favor games that emphasize fun and accessibility over brutal head-to-head competition.

In the same period, the usual suspects sat atop the charts alongside these newcomers. Baldur’s Gate 3 remains a heavyweight; Clair Obscur and Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 also appear in the top ten, alongside evergreen hits like Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced and EA Sports FC. The lineup reflects a diverse holiday roster that blends new, accessible shooters with long-running favorites.

Taken together, the top-ten lineup paints a picture of a holiday sales period where players bounce between established favorites and newer, more approachable shooters. SteamDB’s data covers the week of December 23–30 and explicitly excludes free-to-play titles, underscoring the strength of paid experiences during the season.

Steam sale top sellers lineup

For readers tracking PC gaming trends, the emergence of Arc Raiders and the prominence of Battlefield 6 in the Christmas week sales point to a broader realignment in the multiplayer space. The trend toward casual, chaotic shooting experiences alongside stalwart single-player and evergreen titles suggests a market receptive to varied flavors of competition as the year closes.

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