Steam Records Best December In History With Over $1.6 Billion Generated In Revenue

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Arc Raiders Was The Best-Selling Game On Steam During This Period.

Story Highlight
  • Steam recorded its best December to date last month, generating over $1.6 billion in sales.
  • The platform grossed over 22% more in sales compared to December 2024.
  • Titles like Arc Raiders, R.E.P.O., PEAK, and Battlefield 6 were at the forefront thanks to hefty discounts.

Valve has had a 2025 like no other, with the gaming giant breaking one record after another. The company achieved an all-time high in revenue, while also attaining one of the highest earnings-per-employee ratios globally.

The force behind Valve’s success is none other than Steam. The online juggernaut alone generated over $16 billion in sales this year, and according to a new report, this number is set to see a substantial increase thanks to the holiday season.

Why This Matters: Such heavy traffic and record-breaking sales on Steam at the end of 2025 showcase how the year has been filled with brilliant releases across many genres.

Steam holiday sales
Best-selling titles on Steam this holiday season. Source: Alinea Analytics

According to a report from Alinea Analytics, December 2025 was Steam’s highest-grossing holiday month ever as the online platform made over $1.6 billion in sales. Compared to December 2024, the platform recorded a staggering 22.7% increase in revenue.

Furthermore, Steam’s gross last month was even able to beat out the pandemic-induced holiday period of December 2020, which had previously held this record for 5 years, grossing $1.4 billion thanks to everyone being confined to their homes.

Unsurprisingly, Arc Raiders was one of the major forces behind this historic December for Steam. As per Alinea Analytics, the game sold over 1.2 million copies on the platform, making it the best-selling title on Steam during the holiday period.

Arc Raiders
Sales of Arc Raiders helped Steam record this historic December in 2025.

Moreover, hefty discounts on old and in-demand games once again generated a lot of revenue for Steam this December. Detroit: Become Human almost sold a million copies thanks to a 90% discount, bringing its price tag to $4. 

Battlefield 6 also shifted 700k copies, thanks to a 30% discount, while indie hits R.E.P.O. and PEAK were among the top 6 best-selling titles during the winter season, continuing the indie dominance on Steam into the new year.

Do you think Steam is going to continue breaking records in 2026? Or is the exclusion of GTA 6 from the platform going to hurt player traffic this year? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.

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