Fortnite Defeats Call of Duty with 10 Million More Playtime Hours on Christmas Day’s Gaming Marathon

As January winds down, most of us find ourselves easing back into routine after the holidays. It’s an opportune moment to glance back at a key battleground of the season: which game was everyone using to dodge family time or hasten digestion on Christmas Day? Unsurprisingly, the answer is Fortnite—naturally.

The research team at Ampere (with a nod to Chris Dring at VGC) dug into the data for December 2024. No shockers here—the rival to the throne of Fortnite’s default dance was another heavyweight shooter: Call of Duty. Yep, you guessed it.

Ampere’s findings revealed that on Christmas Day alone, Fortnite players collectively logged a staggering 30 million hours. This means the typical Fortnite fan clocked in around 2.3 hours, chasing victory royales, attending virtual Mariah Carey concerts, or diving into the myriad other activities the game offers.

On the other hand, Call of Duty managed a respectable 20 million hours of gameplay on the same day. Black Ops 6 was anticipated to lead this charge, although it didn’t quite topple Fortnite’s reign—much like those frantic last-minute attempts to turn the tide in a Nuketown match that’s going sideways. Don’t sweat it; there’s always the next 360 no-scope opportunity.

Despite missing the top spot, Call of Duty had no reason to grumble. Ampere’s insights highlighted Black Ops 6 as a holiday standout, having primed Call of Duty HQ for a successful December, thanks to attracting 38 million monthly users in November 2024.

Additionally, this performance contributed to a successful month for Xbox, along with Indiana Jones making waves. With $465 million spent on Microsoft games in December, Ampere noted this clinched Microsoft’s spot as the world’s leading publisher for the month across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. They surpassed EA, who continued to surf the strong but slightly receding wave of EA Sports FC, with FC 25 not quite measuring up to its predecessor.

So, did you find yourself diving into Fortnite while waiting for your Christmas feast to settle, or were you more on the Call of Duty frontlines? Share your experiences below!