For the past fifteen years, the best-selling game of that respective year was either the newest game from Rockstar Games (namely Grand Theft Auto V or Red Dead Redemption II), or the latest Call of Duty game, with no exceptions as fans made it clear which developers and franchises were the most popular.
That is, until 2023. Even though we did get a new Call of Duty game this year with the release ofModern Warfare III, and that game was the best-selling title for November and December 2023 per the charts from Circana, it was Avalanche Software’s Hogwarts Legacy that has held the top spot since its launch in February, and has refused to let go for nearly the entire year. This continuous sales flow was likely bolstered by the licensed game releasing on multiple platforms throughout the year, with a current-gen console and PC launch initially, followed by a last-gen console launch in May and a Switch release in November. Per Warner Bros., the game had surpassed 22 million copies sold by the end of the year, making it the first annual best-selling game not developed by Rockstar or published by Activision since Rock Band 2 in 2008.
There’s no denying that Call of Duty is still a prevalent franchise among gamers, but there’s several factors that may have helped cause this streak to end. Perhaps it’s the fact that this is the first direct sequel in back-to-back years since subseries became a franchise staple back in 2007, or because of the tepid reviews for the single player campaign. While not a new addition by any means, Warzone’s popularity as a free-to-play alternative may also be drawing away players who normally would have picked up the premium version. With Grand Theft Auto VI already staking its claim as a massive hit in 2025, it remains to be seen if Call of Duty can rebound this year with a rumored return to Black Ops, or if another title will once again steal its spotlight.
Elsewhere, the PS5 emerged as the best-selling hardware of 2023, likely indicating that the console is no longer as hard to find on store shelves as it was in 2021 and 2022. Modern Warfare III wasn’t the only Call of Duty title to crack the top ten, with last year’s Modern Warfare II also being included at seventh. Additionally, PlayStation and Switch exclusivesSpider-Man 2andThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomshowed up at fourth and fifth respectively, while the Xbox exclusiveStarfieldbarely missed the top ten by coming in eleventh. Check out the full list of the top twenty best-selling games of 2023 below:
