European Video Game Sales Remain Strong in February, Driven by Helldivers 2

According to the latest data from GSD, Europe witnessed the sale of 16.74 million video games in February, marking a 21.2% increase from the same period last year. However, considering the difference in the number of weeks between the two periods, sales are actually down by 0.1% when compared to the same five-week period in 2023. The release of major titles like Hogwarts Legacy in the previous year and the absence of Palworld from the current data set due to tracking limitations suggest that the actual sales performance for February 2024 might be better than indicated. GSD's tracking includes physical retail sales in major European markets and digital sales from prominent AAA publishers across all European markets. The standout title for the month was Helldivers 2 by Sony, which saw over 56% of its sales come from the PC platform. The game demonstrated strong sales resilience, with a 70% increase in its second week and only a 28% drop in sales by the fourth week. In comparison, EA Sports FC 24 continued to perform well, while Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth debuted at number three, despite opening week sales being 23% lower than its predecessor. Other notable releases include Ubisoft's Skull and Bones and Mario vs Donkey Kong. On the console side, sales dipped, with all major platforms experiencing drops. The PS5 was the most resilient, with a 2% decrease, followed by the Switch with a 17% decline, and the Xbox Series S and X seeing a significant 47% drop. The sales of accessories and add-ons remained strong, led by controllers for the PS5 and Xbox.