Silly season has officially begun, and while Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone in a flash, it’s a time of year where gamers will have a little less time in the office and a little more time with their loved ones and gaming systems. With 2025 being such a terrific year, even in the absence of a certain Rockstar giant of a game, there’s a broad range of titles we’re really enjoying.
Prior to the rush of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the festivities of Thanksgiving weekend, we invited our valued readers to take part in a poll to let us know what games have really captured their attention. So, we take a look at what’s got everyone talking, from ARC Raiders and Marvel Rivals, to the unnamed old faves we just can’t seem to put down.
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We Asked Readers: What Game Will You Be Playing the Most on Thanksgiving Weekend?
While Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and massive savings with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the lengthier weekend leaves more time for gamers to do what they do best. That’s why we wanted to know what you were firing up for the long weekend.
What game did you play the most on Thanksgiving weekend?
- Other, I will be playing a single-player game/retro game/game not on this list — 39% / 305 votes.
- ARC Raiders — 23% / 176 votes.
- Battlefield 6 — 10% / 80 votes.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 — 6% / 48 votes.
- Fortnite — 6% / 47 votes.
- Where Winds Meet — 4% / 31 votes.
- Marvel Rivals — 3% / 24 votes.
- A Switch 2 Game (DK Bananza, Kirby Air Raiders, Mario Kart World) — 3% / 20 votes.
- Overwatch 2 — 2% 18 votes.
- Counter-Strike 2 — 2% / 14 votes.
- PUBG — 1% / 10 votes.
Game Rant readers went off-menu with this week’s poll, with the majority of participants opting for games that aren’t live service or recent releases. This leaves the most popular choice a little up to interpretation, as it encompasses popular single-player games like Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption 2, but also includes retro games, indie gems, and those nostalgic classics we always come back to.
When it comes to the titles listed in our poll, it may come as little surprise that ARC Raiders is the comfortable leader, as its dominance on Steam continues. With this year being such a big one for shooting games, both new and existing, it’s also not particularly surprising to see the likes of Battlefield 6, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and Fortnite, which has continued to enjoy some success with recent popular updates.
In contrast, what may come as a little more of a surprise is the popularity of Where Winds Meet, which flew under many radars prior to its release, but is certainly garnering attention from its free-to-play model. Speaking of free-to-play, Marvel Rivals may not quite have the dominance it enjoyed on launch, but the inclusion of the new PvE zombies mode and new/incoming characters, Gambit and Rogue, have brought players back to try it out.
While it’s time to get back to the post-holiday grind as we gear up for the holiday season, our current favorites will still be waiting for us. Now, with the results of this poll behind us, what’s your pick for the Multiplayer Game of the Year?
