US Gaming Market Sees 10% Boost in Sales Following Release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

The US gaming market experienced a resurgence in October, fueled by the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. According to Circana's monthly report, total sales of hardware, software, and accessories rose by 10% year-over-year, reaching $4.7 billion. A breakdown of this figure reveals that content sales accounted for $4.23 billion, a 12% increase from October 2023, while hardware sales declined by 23% to $249 million. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 debuted at number one on the October US charts and became the third best-selling game of 2024 to date. Circana noted a 16% growth in non-mobile subscription spending compared to the same period last year, which it attributed to the game's launch on Game Pass. The research firm also highlighted that console content was the primary driver of the increase in content spending, with a 27% rise compared to the same period last year, driven by digital full game sales. Additionally, Circana's Mat Piscatella stated that 'PlayStation platforms accounted for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 total console full game dollar sales volume during the October tracking period.' He further added that 'over its first two weeks in market, full game dollar sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 were 23% higher than the full game dollar sales of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) over its first two weeks in market a year ago.' The US charts for October saw eight new entries in the top ten, with Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero debuting at number two and Silent Hill 2 (2024) at number three. EA's Dragon Age: The Veilguard ranked sixth, while Sega secured two new entries in the top ten: Metaphor: ReFantazio at number five and Sonic X Shadows Generations at number nine.