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Shooters Reign Oct 2025; Pokémon Z-A Stumbles Despite Sales

Shooters Reign Oct 2025; Pokémon Z-A Stumbles Despite Sales
Chart showing top performing games in October 2025, with Battlefield 6 leading shooters and Pokémon Z-A underperforming.

New insights from industry analyst Newzoo reveal a decisive victory for the shooter genre in October 2025, with titles like Battlefield 6 and Fortnite dominating revenue and monthly active user (MAU) charts across major Western markets. Concurrently, while making a strong debut, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is noted to have "underperformed" compared to its predecessor, Legends: Arceus, despite impressive first-week sales. This data, shared with IGN, offers a crucial snapshot of the current gaming landscape and the challenging battle new releases face against established live-service titans.

Shooters Blast Their Way to the Top

According to exclusive Newzoo data, which covers digital full-game purchases, DLC, subscriptions, and microtransactions across the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, shooters were the undeniable kings of October 2025. DICE's highly anticipated Battlefield 6 made an explosive entrance, claiming the No. 1 spot for revenue and No. 3 for MAUs, an extraordinary achievement given it was available for only one week during the reporting period.

Not to be outdone, the vast Call of Duty ecosystem (encompassing MW2, MW3, WZ, and BO6) secured the No. 2 position for MAUs and ranked 9th in revenue, benefitting from a full month of availability. Analysts note that MAU figures provide a more equitable comparison for Call of Duty due to its presence on Xbox Game Pass. The stage is now set for a titanic clash in November, as Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will face Battlefield 6 head-on with a full month of data.

Another noteworthy debut came from the breakout extraction shooter Arc Raiders, which launched late in the month but still managed to grab the No. 7 spot for revenue and No. 18 for MAUs, despite being available for just two days. These new entries joined a formidable lineup of established shooters and live-service giants that continue to capture audience attention and spending.

October 2025's Top Revenue Powerhouses

Newzoo's comprehensive analysis for October 2025 highlights these titles as the top revenue generators across PC and console in the measured Western markets:

  • Battlefield 6/Redsec (NEW)
  • EA Sports FC 26
  • Fortnite
  • Ghost of Yotei (NEW)
  • Pokemon Legends: Z-A (NEW)
  • NBA 2K 26
  • Arc Raiders (NEW)
  • Counter-Strike 2 & GO
  • Call of Duty: MW2/MW3/WZ/BO6
  • EA Sports Madden NFL 26
  • The Sims 4
  • Minecraft
  • Digimon Story Time Stranger (NEW)
  • Valorant
  • Super Mario Galaxy 2 (NEW)
  • Roblox
  • League of Legends
  • Jurassic World Evolution 3 (NEW)
  • World of Warcraft
  • Marvel Rivals

Leading the Charge in Monthly Active Users (MAUs)

In terms of player engagement, reflected by Monthly Active Users, these games dominated October 2025:

  • Fortnite
  • Call of Duty: MW2/MW3/WZ/BO6
  • Battlefield 6/Redsec (NEW)
  • Roblox
  • Minecraft
  • skate.
  • Grand Theft Auto V
  • Rocket League
  • Counter-Strike 2 & GO
  • EA Sports FC 26
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X
  • Marvel Rivals
  • NBA 2K26
  • EA Sports FC 25
  • Pokemon Legends: Z-A (NEW)
  • Helldivers 2
  • Borderlands 4
  • Arc Raiders (NEW)
  • Apex Legends
  • Overwatch 1 & 2

Pokémon Legends: Z-A's Strong Start, Yet "Underperformed"

In a month that also saw a monster RPG showdown, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, launching on October 16, 2025, carved out a significant slice of the market. Newzoo data places the title at No. 5 in revenue and No. 15 in MAUs, clearly outperforming rival Digimon Story Time Stranger (No. 13 revenue).

However, Newzoo highlighted that Z-A "underperformed compared to Legends: Arceus," suggesting potential player hesitance towards its new real-time, action-based combat system or lingering caution following the buggy launch of Scarlet and Violet.

Despite this comparative assessment, official Nintendo sales figures reveal a robust opening week for Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The cross-gen title, available on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, sold a staggering 5.8 million units worldwide in its debut week. Approximately half of these sales were for the Nintendo Switch 2 version. This makes Z-A, the first Pokémon game to feature real-time battles, the fifth best-selling game in the franchise's history based on first-week performance. It surpassed Pokémon X/Y and Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee but trailed behind Scarlet/Violet, Legends: Arceus, and Sword/Shield.

IGN's review of Pokémon Legends: Z-A awarded it an 8/10, praising Game Freak for "hitting its stride in Pokémon’s 3D era, with a fun setting to explore, a well-written story, and a total battle system overhaul that works surprisingly well." This indicates critical acclaim despite the comparative underperformance in market data.

The Shifting Sands of the Gaming Industry

October 2025's data underscores a clear trend: the shooter genre, especially with major new releases like Battlefield 6 and breakout hits like Arc Raiders, continues to command significant player attention and spending. Alongside these, established live-service giants such as Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, Valorant, and leading annual sports titles maintain their formidable presence. For new games, breaking into these tightly held top spots remains as challenging as ever, highlighting the competitive nature of today's dynamic gaming market.