The State of Games: January 2026
Arc Raiders tops Battlefield, Forza and Fable generate buzz, and PS5 is No.1 in the West
Welcome to the latest State of Games Report from The Game Business.
Every month, exclusively for paid subscribers, we dive into the key charts, statistics, facts and stories from the previous month in video games, including some exclusive data and analysis from us.
There were very few big releases in January, although Highguard generated plenty of attention, and Arc Raiders’ rise up the rankings continued. Plus, the reveals of Fable and Forza Horizon 6 generated plenty of buzz. Let’s dive in.
The State of Games: January 2026
After a surprisingly bleak November, the video game industry saw a late surge in sales in December. Consumers who had been waiting for discounts on consoles and games finally accepted they were not coming and bought them anyway.
January is always a much quieter month, and we saw a drop in player counts across multiple titles. However, there were some bright spots, including an increase in subscription revenue in the US, while Arc Raiders continues to add more players in its fourth month on the market.
Arc Raiders leapfrogs Battlefield 6
Nexon’s Arc Raiders has posted its fourth consecutive month of user growth, and the game has now eclipsed Battlefield 6 in the rankings (Arc Raiders was made by some of the original Battlefield game developers). Meanwhile, Call of Duty dominates unit sales in the US.
Here are the charts and facts: