The festive season is now in full swing. Although the Thanksgiving weekend passes quickly, it offers gamers a precious opportunity to step away from work and enjoy quality time with both family and their favorite gaming consoles. With 2025 shaping up to be an outstanding year for the industry, boasting a diverse and high-quality lineup of titles, players have no shortage of excellent options to dive into during the break.

Ahead of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales frenzy, we reached out to our community with a simple question: which games were you most excited to play over the long weekend? The responses paint a fascinating picture of current gaming habits, spotlighting everything from hot new releases like ARC Raiders to beloved classics that never seem to lose their appeal.

Thanksgiving is synonymous with family gatherings and fantastic deals, but the extended break also means more hours available for gaming. We were curious to discover which virtual worlds our readers planned to inhabit during their downtime.

What game did you play the most on Thanksgiving weekend? The results are in, offering a clear snapshot of player preferences during this holiday period.

Here is the breakdown of the most popular choices according to the poll:

• Other (Single-player/Retro/Game not listed) — 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 — 3% (20 votes)
• Overwatch 2 — 2% (18 votes)
• Counter-Strike 2 — 2% (14 votes)
• PUBG — 1% (10 votes)

The most striking takeaway is that a significant plurality of voters stepped off the beaten path. The "Other" category, which includes single-player narratives, retro classics, and indie titles, emerged as the clear winner. This suggests that for many, the holiday weekend is a chance to revisit timeless adventures like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or lose themselves in the expansive world of Red Dead Redemption 2, rather than keeping up with the latest live-service updates.

Among the specific titles listed, ARC Raiders leads the pack comfortably. Its continued strong performance on platforms like Steam solidifies its position as a major player in the current shooter landscape. Given that 2025 has been a notable year for the genre, the strong showing of established franchises like Battlefield 6, Call of Duty, and the ever-resilient Fortnite is also expected, as these games continue to evolve with new content.

A more surprising contender is Where Winds Meet. Initially flying under the radar for many, its free-to-play model has successfully captured a dedicated audience since launch. Similarly, Marvel Rivals maintains a foothold in the conversation. While its peak launch popularity may have subsided, the introduction of new features like a PvE zombie mode and fan-favorite characters such as Gambit and Rogue has successfully re-engaged players.