Most Popular Video Games in France Right Now

France stands out as one of Europe’s most influential gaming markets, not just in revenue but in participation. The gaming market in France is the seventh-largest in the world, with internet users engaging with video games across mobile, console, and PC platforms. Gaming is no longer segmented by age or device — it is a mainstream leisure activity embedded in everyday life.

Market and consumption data consistently show that action, sports, and shooter genres dominate French player preferences, followed closely by large-scale narrative adventures and role-playing games.

Recent weekly and monthly sales charts from late 2025, covering PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms, highlight how strongly French players respond to competitive sports simulations, cinematic action experiences, and long-running Nintendo IPs.

At the same time, evergreen titles play a critical role in defining popularity; they continue to rank among the top sellers and most engaged titles across Europe — including France — despite being years old. Their sustained performance reflects France’s preference for sandbox-style, replayable experiences that support creativity, social play, and long-term engagement.

What emerges is a distinctly French gaming mix:

• Live-service shooters that thrive on competition and updates
• Sports simulations driven by France’s deep football culture
• Family-friendly Nintendo titles with cross-generational appeal
• Open-world and sandbox games that remain relevant for years

This blend — rather than short-term hype — defines what popular games in France truly mean in 2026.

French gaming tastes in 2026 reflect a clear pattern: sports realism, cinematic storytelling, competitive multiplayer, and long-term replayability. Across console, PC, and mobile, the titles dominating playtime and sales share three things in common — strong localisation, social or competitive depth, and cultural relevance.

Here are the ten most popular video games in France right now, based on sales performance, platform charts, search interest, and sustained player engagement.

1. EA Sports FC 26

Football isn’t just a sport in France—it’s a cultural institution. That’s why EA Sports FC 26 anchors the most popular video game rankings in France, regularly topping sales on PS5, Switch, and PC throughout late 2025 and into early 2026. The game’s Ultimate Team modes and competitive online seasons keep engagement exceptionally high, while its connection to Ligue 1 and Champions League action creates an irresistible pull for football enthusiasts.

The localization here goes beyond simple translation. FC 26 includes French menus, subtitles, and crucially, French commentary packs that let players hear matches called in their native language. Players can independently adjust subtitle and commentary languages, ensuring the perfect experience whether they’re managing Les Bleus or recreating last weekend’s Ligue 1 drama. The development of such polished experiences requires significant resources from any game development company, resulting in the realistic gameplay that keeps French gamers coming back season after season.

2. Ghost of Yotei

Ghost of Yotei is one of the strongest first-party PlayStation 5 launches in Europe since Spider-Man 2, quickly climbing to the top of several French weekly charts. This cinematic samurai action game’s blend of open-world exploration, intense sword combat, and prestige storytelling has particularly resonated with French players who appreciated its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima.

What sets this apart for French audiences is the complete localization package. The game features full French voice-over—not just subtitles—allowing the emotional story beats, nuanced dialogue, and cultural references to land with maximum impact. French “let’s play” creators have showcased these “voix françaises” extensively, demonstrating how the game’s complex narrative remains fully accessible to French-speaking audiences without compromising the original’s artistic vision.

3. Battlefield 6

When Battlefield 6 debuted at number one on French charts in October 2025, selling approximately 7 million copies worldwide in its first three days, it marked the franchise’s biggest launch ever. The massive 128-player battles, destructible environments, and refreshed class system have made it a core multiplayer choice among French shooter fans seeking large-scale competitive experiences.

The game ships with French menus, subtitle support, and French audio options across consoles and PC. This localization proves especially crucial in competitive play, where split-second comprehension of HUD prompts, map information, and squad commands can mean the difference between victory and defeat. For a game development studio tackling projects of this scale, ensuring smooth multilingual support across such complex systems represents a significant technical achievement.

4. Légendes Pokémon: Z-A

Few games capture French hearts quite like Légendes Pokémon: Z-A, and the reason is immediately clear: it’s set in Illumis, a city unmistakably inspired by Paris. Players explore Haussmann-style streets, encounter a Prismatic Tower reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower, and navigate train routes that reference French rail culture. This Paris connection has propelled Z-A into one of the most searched-for and most-played Nintendo titles in France, with Z-A prominently featured in both Switch and Switch 2 sales.

The Pokémon franchise has always maintained strong French localization—full French text for Pokémon names, item descriptions, and dialogue—and Z-A continues this tradition flawlessly. French trailers show in-game text and NPC speech entirely in French, while the community has even produced French-language theme songs celebrating the game. This level of cultural integration makes Z-A more than just a popular game in France—it’s a love letter to French culture wrapped in a Pokémon adventure.

5. Mario Kart World

Leading sales rankings on Nintendo Switch 2 while maintaining a solid position in broader multiplatform charts, Mario Kart World evolves the classic kart-racing formula with more detailed tracks, improved visuals, and expanded online features perfectly suited to France’s large base of family and party gamers.

The Switch 2 version offers French-language menus, race HUD, and in-game signage—continuing Nintendo’s long-standing commitment to French localization in first-party titles. Course names, item descriptions, and UI prompts all appear in natural French, which matters tremendously for younger players and family groups less comfortable navigating English interfaces. This accessibility helps explain why Mario Kart titles consistently rank among the popular games played in France across all age demographics.

6. Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Set in feudal Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows became the second best-selling game in Europe during the first half of 2025 and has maintained strong performance in France through late 2025. The mix of stealth, open-world exploration, and historical storytelling aligns perfectly with what French players have appreciated throughout the Assassin’s Creed series.

Ubisoft titles are renowned for exceptional French localization, and Shadows delivers full French voice acting, menus, and subtitles, with marketing materials heavily localized for French audiences. This comprehensive approach allows French players to fully experience nuanced character interactions and complex political intrigue without any language barriers—a crucial factor given the game’s narrative complexity and historical themes.

7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

Already the second best-selling Switch game globally, Animal Crossing: New Horizons received an enhanced Switch 2 Edition in January 2026 that improves resolution and loading times while preserving the relaxing village-life gameplay that made it beloved. The upgraded version features faster island loading (approximately 45 seconds versus nearly a minute on Switch 1) and supports up to 12 local players on one island—a significant draw for French households.

The complete French localization includes item names, villager dialogue, interface text, and in-game events, all of which carry over seamlessly to the Switch 2 version. French-language memes, community creations, and news coverage demonstrate how deeply embedded Animal Crossing culture is in France, making it a true popular video game that transcends simple gaming to become a social phenomenon.

8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Black Ops 6 remains one of the most-played shooters in France in early 2026, with Season 2 launching in late January, bringing new maps, modes, and events. While Fortnite maintains its dominant position in French gaming, Black Ops 6 has carved a substantial niche thanks to its Gulf War campaign, extensive Zombies content, and constant seasonal updates.

As a mainstream AAA shooter, the game includes full French localization with French voice-over, menus, and subtitles available across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in French regions. This localization proves critical for accessibility in fast-paced gameplay where clear audio callouts and readable HUD text can determine competitive outcomes. The substantial game development cost associated with maintaining such comprehensive multilingual support reflects the industry’s understanding that proper localization directly impacts player retention.

9. Minecraft

The best-selling video game of all time—having surpassed 350 million copies sold—Minecraft continues appearing in European and French charts across console and PC storefronts. Its creative building tools, survival mechanics, and vast modding scene ensure French players, both casual and hardcore, return to it year after year.

Mojang maintains robust French localization covering menus, crafting recipes, item names, in-game tips, and educational editions, making the game approachable for children and in-school use throughout France. The availability of French-language servers, content creators, and tutorial communities further strengthens its grip on French gaming audiences. Some French players have even built digital replicas of the Eiffel Tower, showcasing how Minecraft serves as both a popular game in France and a creative canvas for expressing national pride.

10. Grand Theft Auto V

Despite originally launching in 2013, Grand Theft Auto V still sits near the top of numerous European sales rankings and remains hugely popular in France thanks to GTA Online. With over 220 million copies sold globally, it continues attracting new players through frequent multiplayer updates and discounted pricing.

GTA V offers French menus and subtitles, and while core voice acting remains in English, the French localization of story text, UI prompts, GPS directions, and mission briefings makes the game widely accessible. This combination—English audio paired with French text—feels familiar to French audiences and hasn’t hindered the game’s long-term success. French GTA Online role-playing servers draw thousands of players nightly, demonstrating how this evergreen title maintains relevance more than a decade after release.

Several interconnected factors explain why these specific titles rise to the top of French charts and conversations.

• Strong Localization and Cultural Resonance

High-quality French localization—encompassing subtitles, menus, and often full French dubbing—removes friction and makes complex games immediately accessible. This proves especially visible in Ghost of Yotei, Légendes Pokémon: Z-A, Animal Crossing, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Games that integrate French or European cultural touchpoints, like the Paris-inspired Illumis setting in Légendes Pokémon: Z-A, build emotional connections that transcend simple translation.

• Alignment With French Genre Preferences

Market data on French gaming reveals a clear appetite for sports, action, and shooter games, explaining the dominance of EA Sports FC 26, Battlefield 6, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Simultaneously, narrative-rich adventures and open-world experiences like Ghost of Yotei, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, and GTA V match French audiences’ long-standing interest in cinematic storytelling and historically or culturally rich settings.

• Platform Ecosystems and Social Connectivity

France’s strong console base, particularly PS5 and Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, naturally boosts games that are either exclusive (Ghost of Yotei, Mario Kart World, Légendes Pokémon: Z-A, Animal Crossing) or heavily optimized for console play. Many popular titles double as social hubs—EA Sports FC 26 for football fans, Minecraft and Animal Crossing for creative and family play, Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty for competitive squads—which aligns with how French players use games as shared social activities.

The mobile gaming sector also thrives in France, with titles benefiting from specialized mobile game development services that ensure smooth performance across devices. While traditional card and board games remain beloved in French culture, digital gaming has carved out its own distinct space in French entertainment.