Top game releases of Q3 2025

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The third quarter of 2025 brought a wave of blockbuster game releases that had gamers glued to their screens and livestreams exploding with viewership. From high-octane shooters and spine-chilling horror to indie sensations and the world’s most beloved football simulator, Q3 proved that the gaming world never sleeps. Here’s a look at the top new video games that dominated livestreams.

This article only includes games that were released in the Q3 2025. The ranking is based on their watch time on livestreaming platforms during the first week after their release.

#10 Mecha BREAK (4.65 millions HW)

Mecha BREAK, developed by the Chinese studio Amazing Seasun Games, claimed the tenth spot among the most-watched releases of Q3 2025. This team-based mecha shooter throws players into a futuristic world where the discovery of a new carbon-silicon mineral has both solved Earth’s energy crisis and unleashed dangerous side effects — high infectivity and extreme pathogenicity. As members of a squad of mecha pilots, players must explore infected zones and search for a way to save humanity.

During the first week after its release, Mecha BREAK streams racked up more than 4.65 million Hours Watched. The surge in viewership was fueled by Twitch Drops and a large-scale marketing push featuring top creators. Streamers like Emily “Emiru” Schunk, Zack “zackrawrr” Hoyt and Emily “ExtraEmily” Zhang broadcasted the game — and Michael “shroud” Grzesiek and Félix “xQc” Lengyel even went head-to-head in a special team showmatch.

#9 Mafia: The Old Country (5.26 millions HW)

In early August, gamers around the world were captivated by the release of Mafia: The Old Country — the highly anticipated new chapter in the legendary franchise from Hangar 13. Set in early 1900s Sicily, the game tells the story of Enzo Favara, a young carusu who gets drawn into the turbulent rise and fall of the fictional Torrisi crime family.

To mark the launch of Mafia: The Old Country, several top livestreamers hosted marathon playthroughs, often cranking up the difficulty to the max and refusing to stop until they beat the game. Popular creators like Erik “GRONKH” Range, Herschel “DrDisRespecT” Beahm IV or Jesse “MOONMOON” Anime joined in on the action. During its first week after release, Mafia: The Old Country streams racked up more than 5.26 million Hours Watched across platforms.

#8 Donkey Kong: Bananza (6.44 millions HW)

The release of Donkey Kong Bananza, the new Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, took gamers by surprise: it’s the first Donkey Kong title since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014) and the first 3D platformer in the series since Donkey Kong 64 (1999). In Bananza, players face off against the ruthless mining conglomerate VoidCo and its sinister CEO, who will do anything to seize the Banandium Root — a mystical relic said to grant its wielder’s every wish.

The launch of Donkey Kong: Bananza attracted major attention from Japanese streamers — particularly among popular VTubers. On the Western side, creators like Alan “alanzoka” Ferreira and BarbarousKing joined in, streaming the game to their audiences. In just one week, Bananza generated roughly 6.44 million Hours Watched across livestreaming platforms.

#7 Dying Light: The Beast (6.79 millions HW)

Taking the fourth spot on the list was Dying Light: The Beast, a survival horror title developed and published by Polish studio Techland. The story once again follows Kyle Crane, the protagonist of the original game. After years of brutal torture and biological experiments, Crane escapes from Baron Marius Fischer and sets out to take revenge by tearing down his former captor’s plans. But before he can do that, he must confront his own mutation and face the monstrous creations of the Baron, with the help of a few new allies.

Following its release, Dying Light: The Beast quickly became a top hit on Twitch and Kick, dominating both platforms for several days. In its first week, the game’s streams pulled in nearly 6.8 million Hours Watched. The most active creators included shroud, alanzoka, and Elias “Elajjaz” Lönn.

#6 Grounded 2 (6.91 millions HW)

Grounded 2 is a survival action-adventure game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and Eidos-Montréal. The original title was a breakout hit in 2022, so it’s no surprise that the sequel’s release drew massive attention from gamers. The core objective remains the same: survive in a sprawling park by gathering resources, crafting tools, and building shelters. And, just like in the first game, your character is shrunk down to just a few millimeters tall, turning ants, spiders, roaches and even ladybugs into terrifying, larger-than-life predators.

Grounded 2 outperformed its predecessor by a wide margin. In its first week, the game racked up 6.9 million Hours Watched, with a peak of 164.3K concurrent viewers on Twitch — ten times higher than the peak for the original Grounded during its release week. While many top creators streamed the game, the majority of viewership came from SteamTV, where the developers’ channel ran nearly round-the-clock broadcasts.

#5 Silent Hill f (7.58 millions HW)

Horror fans were delighted by Silent Hill f, the latest survival horror title from NeoBards Entertainment. Set in 1960s Japan in the fictional town of Ebisugaoka, the game follows high schooler Hinako Shimizu as she navigates the fog-shrouded streets, solving puzzles and fighting grotesque monsters to survive. This Silent Hill spinoff delivers the same eerie, unsettling atmosphere that fans of the series have come to love.

Silent Hill f drew significant attention from popular Japanese streamers and VTubers. Notably, Koyori Ch. and Koseki Bijou Ch., both ranked among the top 10 most popular female streamers of 2025, hosted streams of the game. During its first week, Silent Hill f amassed nearly 7.6 million Hours Watched across all livestreaming platforms.

#4 WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers (8.68 millions HW)

What do soulslike games, pirates, and ancient Chinese mythology have in common? More than you might think! Chinese studio Leenzee has woven all these elements into their new soulslike action-RPG, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. Players follow Bai Wuchang, a female pirate, as she confronts supernatural horrors unleashed by the mysterious Feathering Disease. Set in an alternate-history version of Shu during the late Ming dynasty, the game depicts a land ravaged by war and plague.

The soulslike genre has always thrived in livestreaming, and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers was no exception. In its first week, streams of the game racked up nearly 8.7 million Hours Watched. It attracted strong attention from streamers in North America, Sweden and even Jordan, with the Kick’s Maher “maherco” Sultaneh topping the charts for the most Hours Watched during that week.

#3 Borderlands 4 (9.06 millions HW)

The hype around Borderlands 4 has been nonstop since early 2025, with extensive media coverage and heated debates on social media over controversial developer statements. The launch wasn’t flawless, as players quickly spotted optimization issues. Still, the action RPG first-person looter shooter from Gearbox Software had its time to shine in livestreams, securing a spot in the top three most-watched new games of Q3 2025.

During its first week, Borderlands 4 was streamed by a host of top Twitch creators, including shroud, ExtraEmily, Jaryd “summit1g” Lazar and even Kai Cenat. Combined, these streams racked up more than 9 million Hours Watched, with Twitch Drops providing a notable boost to viewership.

#2 Hollow Knight: Silksong (17.01 millions HW)

Coming in second among the quarter’s most popular game releases was Hollow Knight: Silksong. Developed and published by Australian indie studio Team Cherry, this metroidvania title is the long-awaited sequel to the cult classic from 2017. The game follows Hallownest’s former princess-protector, Hornet, who is captured and transported to the mysterious and unfamiliar land of Pharloom.

Hollow Knight: Silksong quickly became an indie sensation this fall. The release was so highly anticipated that the surge of players briefly crashed Steam’s servers. Many top streamers took on the challenge, including Rafael “Cellbit” Lange, Alejandro “alexelcapo” Fernández, and Marc Robert “Caedrel” Lamont — though not all made it to the end. Remarkably, during its first week, Silksong dominated Twitch, leading in both average and peak numbers of active streaming channels.

#1 EA Sports FC 26 (18.39 millions HW)

The top-streamed game release of Q3 2025 was EA Sports FC 26, the newest entry in the iconic sports franchise. This comes as no surprise — football is the world’s most popular sport, and the EA Sports FC series (formerly FIFA) boasts nearly two decades of history. For millions of gamers around the globe, the launch of a new football simulator installment has become a cherished annual tradition.

In just three months, streams of EA Sports FC26 accumulated nearly 18.4 million hours watched. One standout was German streamer Elias “eliasn97” Nerlich, who pulled in over 3 million hours watched in a single week with his broadcasts. He dedicated significant time to the game, playing matches, completing challenges, opening player card packs, and covering special show tournaments and events — including the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Most watched new game releases of Q3 2025 (by release week Hours Watched)