The gaming landscape of 2024 saw some predictable winners and some unexpected contenders. While Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 securing the top sales spot wasn't a major shock, the overall composition of the top 20 best-selling games provides interesting insights into consumer preferences and market trends.
2024 was a year packed with highly anticipated releases, including titles like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Helldivers 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Dragon's Dogma 2. The year also witnessed the rise of indie darlings like Balatro, a poker-themed roguelike deck-builder that earned a Game of the Year nomination alongside giants like Black Myth: Wukong and Metaphor: ReFantazio.
According to this data, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the undisputed champion of 2024, followed by EA Sports College Football 25 and Helldivers 2. Sports titles dominated the top 10, with NBA 2K25, Madden NFL 25, EA Sports FC 25, and the EA Sports MVP Bundle all performing exceptionally well. The enduring popularity of Elden Ring, boosted by the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, kept it firmly within the top 10.
Fighting game fans gravitated towards Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero and Tekken 8, while RPG enthusiasts favored Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Hogwarts Legacy, and Dragon's Dogma 2. The absence of Nintendo titles from the list likely stems from Nintendo's policy of not disclosing digital sales data to Circana.
The overall content spending in the U.S. during 2024 saw a modest increase of 2%, reaching $50.6 billion. However, hardware spending experienced a significant decline of 25% compared to 2023, totaling $4.9 billion. Despite this drop, the PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console by unit sales, followed by the Nintendo Switch. The Xbox Series X/S achieved the highest dollar sales figures.
Interestingly, consumer spending on games themselves also dipped slightly by 1.1%, down to $58.7 billion. Looking ahead to 2025, highly anticipated releases like Monster Hunter Wilds, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Avowed are scheduled for the first few months. The gaming community is also eagerly awaiting Grand Theft Auto 6, with rumors suggesting a potential $100 price tag at launch.
