By Sagar V. Mankar 
Recent analyses suggest that Microsoft, through its Xbox division, has ascended to the position of the world’s largest gaming publisher.
The reports came from Ampere Analytics (via VGC) which indicates that in December 2024, Microsoft achieved the top position among global game publishers, with consumer spending reaching $465 million across its gaming products. This impressive figure contains major titles like “World of Warcraft,” “Call of Duty,” “Minecraft,” and “Candy Crush Saga.”
Notably, a significant portion of Microsoft’s revenue, approximately 64%, is attributed to the PlayStation ecosystem, primarily through “Call of Duty” and “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.” This underscores the success of Microsoft’s multiplatform strategy.
The Call of Duty HQ platform attracted 38 million monthly users in November 2024, setting a strong foundation for December’s success. The game’s popularity was particularly evident on Christmas Day, with players logging an impressive 20 million hours of gameplay.
The report also highlights the strong performance of Chinese games during the holiday season. NetEase’s Marvel Rivals attracted 29 million monthly active users while Tencent’s Path of Exile 2 generated $148 million during this period. Infinity Nikki (Papergames) and Delta Force (Tencent) also contributed to strong performance.
Epic Games’ Fortnite also saw impressive engagement numbers with players spending 30 million hours in the game on Christmas Day alone. On average, each Fortnite player dedicated 2.3 hours to the game during the holiday.
The methodology behind Ampere’s data collection isn’t fully detailed. It’s possible that co-ownership aspects, such as Tencent’s stake in “Fortnite,” might not be fully accounted for in their analysis. Nonetheless, this achievement is significant for Microsoft, especially as its evolving strategy has caused some unease among its core user base. Declining Xbox hardware sales over recent quarters have led to concerns that developers might eventually deprioritize the platform.
Microsoft is set to announce its FY25 Q2 financial results on January 29, 2025. This upcoming report will provide deeper insights into Xbox’s performance in an industry increasingly favoring multiplatform releases.