European Video Game Sales See 12% Uptick in October, Driven by Blockbuster Releases

European video game sales experienced a significant boost of 12.4% in October, with 18.5 million units sold across the continent. This surge can be largely attributed to the highly anticipated release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which launched in October, unlike its predecessor, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which was released in November the previous year. As a result, Black Ops 6's initial two-week sales saw a 5% increase in unit sales compared to Modern Warfare 3. However, when compared to 2022's Modern Warfare 2, launch sales were down by 28%. The inclusion of Call of Duty in Game Pass has significantly impacted sales, with a notable decline in premium sales on Xbox platforms. In contrast, PlayStation versions of Black Ops 6 have seen a 26% increase in sales over Modern Warfare 3 and a 2% rise over Modern Warfare 2, suggesting a substantial growth in overall Call of Duty players. EA Sports FC 25 secured the second spot, with sales marginally lower than the previous year's game. The new Dragon Ball title, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, debuted at number three, with sales more than doubling those of the previous fastest-selling Dragon Ball game. Super Mario Party Jamboree and Silent Hill 2 also made the top five, with the latter's sales trailing behind last year's horror remakes. Dragon Age: The Veilguard entered the top ten after just one week, while the boxing game Undisputed performed exceptionally well. Other notable releases included Metaphor: Refantazio and Sonic X Shadow Generations. In terms of hardware, console sales declined by 26%, with PS5 sales down nearly 29%, Nintendo Switch sales dropping 10%, and Xbox sales plummeting over 49%. The year-to-date console sales have decreased by 28%. Accessory sales also saw a decline of nearly 13%. The digital data encompasses games from participating companies sold via various platforms, including Steam, Xbox Live, and the PlayStation Network.