As January draws to a close, many of us are finally settling back into our routines post-Christmas. Still, it’s always interesting to take a quick glance at the gaming battles that raged over the holiday season. So, which game dominated as the go-to escape from family gatherings, or served as the perfect partner to stomach all that festive food? Unsurprisingly, it’s Fortnite leading the charge.
According to research by Ampere (and a nod of thanks to Chris Dring from VGC), it was Fortnite that topped the charts during the final month of 2024. It comes as no shock that its closest rival in this arena was none other than Call of Duty—another heavyweight in the gaming world that’s hard to miss.
On Christmas Day alone, Ampere reports that Fortnite players clocked in an impressive 30 million hours of gaming. This essentially means that fans spent around 2.3 hours each diving into the game’s vibrant universe, whether it was for snagging that elusive number one victory, catching virtual concerts by the likes of Mariah Carey, or exploring the myriad of activities Fortnite offers.
In comparison, Call of Duty’s suite of games managed to pull in a significant 20 million hours of gameplay on the same day, with Black Ops 6 expected to lead the charge. Although it didn’t quite steal the top spot, it wasn’t far off—much like those times players try to regroup for a last-minute victory in a tough Nuketown showdown. But there’s always the next round for a spectacular 360 no-scope.
Despite not clinching the top spot on Christmas, Call of Duty, particularly Black Ops 6, had a solid holiday season. Ampere noted it as one of the season’s standout games, shaping up a stellar December that saw the Call of Duty universe engage a whopping 38 million users in November 2024.
For Xbox, the season turned out to be quite profitable, riding on the coattails of Black Ops 6. Indiana Jones also played a part, with sales amounting to a staggering $465 million in December. This success positioned Microsoft as the leading publisher worldwide across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms for the month, surpassing EA. As usual, EA rode the wave of its EA Sports FC franchise, although FC 25 didn’t quite hit the highs of its predecessor.
So, did you find yourself doing some chill Fortnite gaming while waiting for your festive meals to settle before daring to move again? Let us know how you spent your holiday gaming hours down in the comments!
