God of War Ragnarok Achieves Record-Breaking Launch, Surpassing Call of Duty and Elden Ring

God of War Ragnarok has secured the second-largest boxed game launch in the UK this year, following closely behind FIFA 23. In its first week, the game sold more physical copies than Elden Ring, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. This data only accounts for physical sales, and considering Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's significant digital sales, God of War Ragnarok's overall ranking may vary. Nonetheless, the game's opening week has been remarkably successful, with 82% of its first-week sales attributed to the PS5 and 18% to the PS4. According to GfK, the game's first-day sales exceeded the total first-week sales of any previous game in the series. Furthermore, the game has sold 51% more units in its first week than the previous best-selling God of War title, released in 2018. In just one week, God of War Ragnarok has become the third best-selling game in the series and the second highest in terms of revenue. The official PS5 bundle, which includes the game, accounted for 12% of PS5 sales and 60% of all PS5 consoles sold during the week, marking the biggest week for PS5 sales this year. As a result, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's two-week reign at the top of the charts has come to an end, with a 39% decline in sales. Sonic Frontiers, the next major new release, debuted at number four, with a 5% increase in sales compared to 2017's Sonic Forces. Other notable releases include Football Manager 2023 at number 11, with an 18% decline in boxed sales, and Stray, which re-entered the charts at number 23 following its physical launch on PS4. The surge in PS5 sales also led to a significant increase in sales for Horizon: Forbidden West, which jumped to number seven with a 141% increase, as well as various Nintendo Switch titles, including Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, Nintendo Switch Sports, Splatoon 3, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Minecraft.