Hogwarts Legacy Sets Record as Europe's Fastest-Selling Non-FIFA Game

In a notable feat, Hogwarts Legacy has achieved the sixth largest launch in European gaming history, outpacing every Call of Duty game released since 2017. Despite its massive success, overall game sales in Europe saw a 10% decline in February. The PS5 experienced a significant surge in sales, with a five-fold increase over the same period last year, while Xbox Series S and X sales rose by 13%. In contrast, Switch sales plummeted 28% across Europe, mirroring a similar trend in the UK. The success of Hogwarts Legacy has propelled it to the fifth best-selling game in the last 12 months, behind FIFA 23, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Elden Ring. The decline in game sales can be attributed to fewer new releases in February compared to the previous year, which saw the launch of several major titles including Elden Ring and Horizon: Forbidden West. Legacy titles such as GTA 5 and Mario Kart 8: Deluxe also saw a significant decline in sales, with GTA 5 down 35% and Mario Kart 8: Deluxe down 39% compared to February 2022. Red Dead Redemption 2, however, bucked this trend with a 6% increase in sales. The war shooter Atomic Heart debuted at number 9, while The Last of Us Part 2 and The Last of Us Remastered saw significant sales boosts, with Part 2 sales up 317% and Remastered sales up 285% due to the HBO TV series. Notably, Nintendo's digital data is not included in the chart, and games from smaller publishers are also absent. In terms of console sales, PS5 led the charge, with sales more than double that of the Nintendo Switch, which saw a 28% decline. The Xbox Series S and X took third place, with a 13% increase in sales. Accessories sales experienced a slight drop of 0.2%, while points and wallet sales declined 8% year-over-year.