A number one trade observer has predicted that EA’s Battlefield 6 is “extraordinarily possible” to outsell Activision’s Name of Obligation: Black Ops 7 within the US to complete because the yr’s No. 1 best-selling recreation.
Previous to the discharge of Battlefield 6 in October and Black Ops 7 in November, trade specialists predicted that Black Ops 7 would come out on high. However new information has arrived pointing to Black Ops 7’s gross sales struggles, and now Mat Piscatella of Circana has informed (*6*) that EA’s recreation will possible be the best-seller.
It could be simply the second time since 2018 {that a} Name of Obligation recreation can be outsold within the US. The final time it occurred was 2023, when Hogwarts Legacy beat Name of Obligation: Fashionable Warfare 3. Earlier than that, Purple Lifeless Redemption II got here out on high in 2018, with Black Ops 4 at No. 2.
2024’s Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6 was the yr’s best-selling recreation within the US, and it achieved that regardless of being the primary Name of Obligation recreation to launch into Sport Move. The recreation reportedly misplaced out on $300 million in income because of Sport Move. Circana’s lists are ranked by income, not unit gross sales.
Via November 29, Black Ops 7 is the No. 7 best-selling recreation of 2025 within the US, with Battlefield 6 holding regular at No. 1. In phrases of unit gross sales, EA confirmed solely that Battlefield 6 bought 7 million copies out of the gate. A subsequent report stated the determine rose to 10 million.
Activision, in the meantime, has not disclosed any particular gross sales numbers for Black Ops 7. And even these figures have been disclosed, it would not inform the entire story because of Sport Move. One other factor at play is that Battlefield 6 is just obtainable on PC, PS5, and Xbox Sequence X|S, whereas Black Ops 7 is on these platforms, together with two extra: PS4 and Xbox One.
Previous to the launches of Battlefield 6 and Black Ops 7, analyst Rhys Elliott stated the brand new Name of Obligation recreation would possible end 2025 on high due partly to “autopilot buying” tendencies, the place folks purchase new Name of Obligation video games out of behavior, even when they complain a couple of lack of latest options or innovation.
Elliott is discussing international gross sales, whereas Circana’s reviews solely cowl North America. Circana will launch its report for December 2025 and full-year 2025 North American recreation gross sales in January, and if Battlefield 6 comes out on high, that will not essentially imply it beat Black Ops 7 globally.
Name of Obligation supplies extra worth to Microsoft and Xbox than full-game gross sales alone, as folks might join Sport Move to play the sport, thus creating new income for Microsoft. With Sport Move just lately going up $30/month, Microsoft would want somebody to remain subscribed for lower than 2.5 months to herald the price of Black Ops 7 at full value ($70), assuming folks pay full value for the membership and the sport.
In any occasion, Black Ops 7 is clearly not the sale success that Activision and Microsoft would have needed primarily based on full-game gross sales, one thing that is evident as a result of the sport is already considerably marked down. Moreover, Activision has stated it should now not launch Name of Obligation video games in the identical sub-series, like Fashionable Warfare or Black Ops, in consecutive years. Whereas Black Ops 7’s gross sales might have been decrease this yr, the Name of Obligation franchise stays the largest franchise for Xbox Sport Move.