Grand Theft Auto 5 Reclaims Top Spot in European Monthly Charts for August

According to the latest data from GSD, which tracks both digital and physical sales across major European markets, console and PC game sales reached 11.8 million in August, marking a 7% increase from the previous year. This surge in sales can be attributed to discounts and promotions for legacy titles, such as Grand Theft Auto 5, which saw a 5.7% year-over-year increase and claimed the top spot for August. The launch of Star Wars Outlaws also contributed, securing the second position in August's sales charts. Notably, Black Myth: Wukong's digital sales are not included in the data, with only its physical version ranking at No.68. Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws had a disappointing launch, with first-week sales less than half of those achieved by EA's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in 2023, although it performed better than EA's Star Wars Squadrons from 2020. Other notable movements in the charts include Kingdom Come Deliverance, which jumped to No.4 after its price dropped below £3 on Steam, and Borderlands 3, which saw a resurgence following the release of the movie and the announcement of Borderlands 4. Sony's Concord, however, failed to gain traction and was subsequently pulled from sale, ranking at No.347 across Europe and becoming the 13th best-selling new game, behind Nintendo's Emio: The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club. In hardware sales, over 300,000 consoles were sold, representing a 42% drop from the previous August but a 12% increase from July. The PS5 leads console sales despite a significant year-over-year decrease, while the Nintendo Switch follows, with its sales down 25% from August last year. Overall, console sales have declined by 29% year-to-date across tracked markets. In accessories, 1.1 million items were sold, a drop of over 17% from the previous year. The GSD data encompasses digital sales from participating companies like Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Sony, sold via platforms such as Steam, Xbox Live, and the PlayStation Network, across countries including Austria, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Physical data, however, is limited to specific markets and includes all games sold in those regions. Console hardware and accessories sales cover a range of European markets, excluding some countries for accessories.