GameDiscoverCo has released its monthly analysis of the top-performing games on Steam for May 2025, offering insight into both new releases and overall sales trends. This data-driven overview also includes streaming performance metrics from Stream Hatchet, reflecting what captured players' attention across major platforms. The month was defined by the success of high-profile franchise entries, continued momentum from April releases, and a diverse range of independent titles that performed well both commercially and on streaming platforms.

Top 10 Live Streamed Games May 2025

Top 10 Live Streamed Games

• Grand Theft Auto V
• ARC Raiders (Beta Access)
• Dune Awakening (Beta Access)
• Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon
• Merge Fellas

In addition to sales performance, data from livestream analytics platform Stream Hatchet provided a detailed view of game engagement across streaming platforms, including Twitch and others outside China. Grand Theft Auto V was the most-watched game in May, accumulating 174 million hours. This increase was largely influenced by renewed interest driven by the announcement of a release date for GTA VI, as well as continued popularity of role-playing content based on GTA V.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ranked just outside the top ten at number eleven, with 34.3 million hours watched. Its broad appeal across both Western and Asian audiences was evident, and South Korean streamer 풍월량 (Poong Wol-ryang) contributed significantly with 310,000 hours viewed on the CHZZK platform during the game's debut week.

Among new May releases, Elden Ring: Nightreign and Doom: The Dark Ages recorded strong streaming debuts, reaching 17.9 million and 13.5 million hours watched, respectively. These figures placed them at positions 23 and 30 in the overall viewership rankings for the month.

Other noteworthy entries included games still in beta, such as ARC Raiders and Dune Awakening, as well as Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon, which made the list due to its Steam 1.0 launch and growing interest from fans of role-playing games. One of the more unexpected entries was Merge Fellas, a physics-based mobile-style game with an unconventional theme. It reached 5.9 million hours watched and secured a spot in the top 50 most-watched titles.

Top 10 Live Streamed Games May 2025

Leading New Steam Releases by Revenue

• Elden Ring: Nightreign

• Doom: The Dark Ages

• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

• RoadCraft

• The Precinct

• Monster Train 2

• Cash Cleaner Sim

• 9 Kings

• Japanese Drift Master

• Tower Of Babel: Survivors Of Chaos

Among newly released games in May 2025, Elden Ring: Nightreign emerged as the top-grossing title. Despite only being available for the final three days of the month, the game brought in an estimated $31 million in gross revenue on Steam. The strong debut indicates a high level of anticipation and engagement, with projections suggesting it may exceed $100 million in gross revenue on PC alone over time.

Second place went to Doom: The Dark Ages, a first-person shooter sequel that generated $26.5 million during the month. Following closely behind was Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, which saw strong performance particularly in Asian markets, resulting in $23.7 million in revenue. The fourth most successful new release was RoadCraft, a co-op construction and repair simulation game that has drawn comparisons to SnowRunner and earned $12.6 million in revenue.

Several mid-sized and indie titles also performed well. The Precinct, a top-down police simulation game, reached $6.6 million in revenue. Monster Train 2, a sequel in the deckbuilding genre, brought in $3.8 million. Cash Cleaner Sim, a simulation-style title with a unique theme, grossed $2.8 million. The roguelike kingdom builder 9 Kings and the drift racing title Japanese Drift Master each earned approximately $2.2 million. Another notable entry based on units sold rather than revenue was Tower Of Babel: Survivors Of Chaos, a $10 action adventure game with similarities to Diablo and Vampire Survivors that performed strongly in terms of volume.

Top 10 Live Streamed Games May 2025

Overall Steam Performance in May 2025

• Counter-Strike 2

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• DOTA 2

• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remaster

• Helldivers 2

• Apex Legends

• Destiny 2

Beyond newly released titles, broader revenue data for May 2025 reveals the continued dominance of long-standing franchises and live-service games. Counter-Strike 2, developed by Valve, led all titles with $198 million in gross Steam revenue. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which launched in late April, added $63 million to its April total of $25 million, bringing its cumulative Steam revenue to $88 million. The game has also performed well on PlayStation, with an additional $50 million in revenue from that platform.

Other significant performers included DOTA 2, also from Valve, which generated $31.5 million in May. The remastered edition of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion continued to attract interest, adding $30 million to its earnings. Helldivers 2 also saw sustained engagement, bringing in $28 million during the month. Its overall Steam revenue has now reached $406 million, with total multi-platform revenue estimated at $555 million.

The free-to-play market remained strong as well. Apex Legends earned $24.3 million on Steam in May, while Destiny 2 brought in $19.6 million, primarily due to pre-orders for its upcoming "Year of Prophecy" season.

Top 10 Live Streamed Games May 2025

Conclusion

May 2025 presented a wide-ranging snapshot of current gaming trends on Steam and across major streaming platforms. The continued success of flagship franchises such as Elden Ring, Doom, and Grand Theft Auto underscores the influence of established IPs. At the same time, new releases and indie projects demonstrated that niche and genre-focused games continue to find substantial audiences.

From revenue leaders to streaming hits, the data highlights the diversity and complexity of the modern gaming landscape. The performance of these titles, both in sales and viewership, reflects evolving player interests and the increasing importance of platforms like Twitch in shaping a game's trajectory.