If you're asking why everyone's making an extraction shooter, Escape from Tarkov is the 11th most-played game on PC according to new report, beating Overwatch, Marvel Rivals, and PUBG

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If you've ever pondered just how big Escape From Tarkov is, a new report places it just shy of the ten most-played PC games in 2025. While it's not on the level of Fortnite or Counter-Strike 2, the extraction shooter is proof positive that players can be very into the genre, hence the industry's memetic obsession.

A report from Newzoo on video games in 2026 contains a chart of the top 20 games by playtime on PC for all of 2025. Sitting at number 11, comfortably above several heavy-hitters you might think would be higher, is Escape From Tarkov from Battlestate Games.

Last year was a big one for the realistic tactical FPS, because it went 1.0 in November. This is over nine years since the closed alpha first allowed players to start mapping out Norvinsk as part of either the USEC or BEAR. In that time, a large, dedicated community formed around the project, leading to continued success, growth, and eventual full release.

Article continues below Escape from Tarkov 1.0 Release Gameplay Trailer - YouTube Watch On

According to Newzoo's findings, Escape From Tarkov is above Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, PUBG, and Apex Legends in terms of multiplayer shooters. Those are all pretty substantial games, and that's before we get to GTA 5 and Diablo 4. PC player-bases don't get much more dedicated .

It's important to note this is for overall playtime, not concurrent or overall players. Escape From Tarkov could well have fewer fans than these releases, but those it has are clocked in for longer through 2025.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 pipped Battlestate's game to the number ten spot, and you've got The Sims 4, World of Warcraft, and Valorant after that. The big leagues and then some, but who's to say Escape From Tarkov isn't giving them a run for their money this year? The bragging rights are substantial nonetheless.

Escape from Tarkov boss says Arc Raiders is "an extraction shooter for casual people," but he wants "the most painful" experience possible

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Anthony McGlynnContributing Writer

Anthony is an Irish entertainment and games journalist, now based in Glasgow. He previously served as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and News Editor at The Digital Fix, on top of providing work for Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many more. Besides Studio Ghibli, horror movies, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and pro-wrestling. He interviewed Animal once, not that he won’t stop going on about it or anything.

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