Top Gaming Trends for June 2025

The video game industry is experiencing notable shifts in platform strategy, game discoverability, and cross-platform accessibility. According to GameDiscoverCo, recent developments highlight the growing significance of PC releases for traditionally console-exclusive titles, as seen with Stellar Blade’s strong performance on Steam.

Platform holders like Sony and Microsoft are adjusting their approaches to regional availability, hardware integration, and digital distribution, while Nintendo continues to refine its eShop experience alongside a successful Switch 2 launch. Meanwhile, high-engagement live events such as Summer Game Fest and in-game experiences on platforms like Roblox underscore the evolving ways players discover and interact with games. 

Here is a list of all the games we will cover in this article:

1. Stellar Blade
2. Helldivers 2
3. Ghost of Tsushima
4. God of War
5. Spider-Man
6. God of War Ragnarök
7. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered
8. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
9. The Outer Worlds 2
10. Ninja Gaiden 4
11. Gears of War: Reloaded
12. Mario Kart World
13. Cyberpunk 2077
14. Tears of the Kingdom
15. Grow A Garden
16. Fortnite
17. The Witcher 4

Stellar Blade's PC Launch Marks a New Milestone

The release of Stellar Blade on PC through Steam has shown strong performance, with the game reaching a peak of 192,000 concurrent users. A significant portion of this player base, approximately 68 percent, came from China. The title has now become the second most-played PlayStation-published game on the platform, behind only Helldivers 2. This places it ahead of other major releases such as Ghost of Tsushima, God of War, and Spider-Man. The popularity of Stellar Blade highlights the growing impact of PC as a distribution platform for traditionally console-exclusive titles and reflects broader changes in cross-platform publishing strategies.

Steam Peak CCU: PlayStation Studios-Published Games 

PlayStation Expands Global PC Access for Key Games

In a move that indicates further openness to the PC gaming market, Sony has removed regional restrictions that previously prevented the sale of select PlayStation titles in many countries. The affected titles include God of War Ragnarök, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2. These restrictions had previously been attributed to the lack of PlayStation Network support in certain territories, which limited availability on platforms like Steam. The change suggests a shift in Sony’s policy aimed at increasing accessibility and improving global discoverability for its key releases.

Microsoft’s Windows-Based Xbox Strategy

Speculation around Microsoft’s future console plans continues, especially following user interface developments for handheld PC gaming devices like the ROG Ally. According to reporting by The Verge, the interface suggests a direction where Microsoft may support a model that allows multiple hardware manufacturers to produce Xbox-compatible consoles. This approach would potentially eliminate the need for users to interact directly with Windows, streamlining the gaming experience while still leveraging the Windows ecosystem in the background. If implemented, it could mark a significant shift in Microsoft’s hardware and software integration strategy.

Microsoft’s Windows-Based Xbox Strategy

Xbox Distribution Strategy Digital-First Approach

Physical distribution for Xbox titles continues to diverge from traditional models. According to a report from Kotaku, The Outer Worlds 2 will ship with a physical disc on PlayStation 5 but will include only a digital download code for Xbox Series X. This mirrors similar strategies for other Xbox games such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and Gears of War: Reloaded. The trend reflects an ongoing focus on digital-first distribution for Xbox, which differs from PlayStation’s continued support for physical editions in certain cases.

Switch 2 Shows Strong Launch Performance

The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 in the United States has been marked by strong initial sales figures. Data from Circana indicates that over 1.1 million units were sold during the week ending June 7, 2025, not including sales from the My Nintendo Store. Among these early adopters, 79 percent also purchased Mario Kart World, which topped physical game sales.

Other high-ranking titles included Cyberpunk 2077 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. In addition to sales, Nintendo has implemented several updates to the Switch 2 eShop that enhance content discovery. The Best Sellers chart now defaults to Switch 2 games, and a separate tab is available for original Switch games. The platform also highlights recent high-selling releases and briefly displays the number of discounted games from the user’s wishlist upon startup.

Nintendo Switch 2 Data

Roblox Game Surpasses Fortnite’s Peak CCU

User engagement on the Roblox platform continues to rise, with the game Grow A Garden achieving over 16 million concurrent users during a recent in-game event. This figure surpasses the all-time peak of Fortnite, which reached 14.35 million concurrent users. Outside of event periods, Grow A Garden maintains a steady user base of between 2 and 3 million concurrent players. These numbers reflect the ongoing popularity of Roblox and the success of its event-based user retention strategies.

Grow A Garden Data

Summer Game Fest Breaks Records

This year’s Summer Game Fest has become the most-watched edition of the event to date. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the stream accumulated over 50 million livestream views and reached more than 3 million concurrent viewers. Data from Streamscharts shows an 89 percent increase in concurrent live viewers compared to the previous year, spanning both Twitch and YouTube. These metrics highlight the continued growth of digital game showcases as a key marketing and discovery channel for new titles.

Valve Prepares for Steam Summer Sale

Valve has announced that the annual Steam Summer Sale will begin on Thursday, June 26 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time and will run for two weeks. Developers have been encouraged to submit their discount offers in advance through the Steamworks dashboard. Separately, Valve is involved in an ongoing legal issue related to arbitration claims. According to a report by Nicole Carpenter at GameFile, the company is currently holding up thousands of consumer arbitration cases by declining to pay $21 million in required fees to the arbitration firm. This follows Valve’s decision in 2024 to eliminate forced arbitration clauses from its user agreements.

The Witcher 4 Faces Performance Challenges

Technical considerations continue to influence development for upcoming titles. In a recent interview with Digital Foundry, developers at CD Projekt Red discussed challenges related to optimizing The Witcher 4 for various hardware configurations. They noted that achieving 60 frames per second on the Xbox Series S would be particularly difficult. This underscores ongoing limitations associated with lower-end hardware and highlights the trade-offs developers must consider when building games for multiple platforms.

The Witcher 4

Final Thoughts

The current landscape of game discovery and distribution is undergoing significant changes across major platforms. With PC continuing to grow as a viable release target for console-first publishers, and companies like Sony and Microsoft adapting their strategies accordingly, the market is becoming more accessible and interconnected. Meanwhile, platforms such as Roblox and Nintendo’s Switch 2 are enhancing discoverability and engagement through both technical improvements and content-driven events. These shifts point to a broader industry trend focused on reach, accessibility, and platform flexibility.