The latest rankings from Circana reveal that ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ has outperformed ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’ in the top-selling games of 2023, as of November’s end. This achievement is particularly notable given the rarity of new IPs surpassing established franchises like ‘Call of Duty’, ‘Pokemon’, or ‘Grand Theft Auto’.
‘Hogwarts Legacy’, an original title from a high-profile IP, had reportedly sold 15 million copies by May 2023, with projections indicating a likely surge to 20 million. In contrast, sales for ‘Modern Warfare 3’ have dipped compared to last year’s ‘MW2’. However, it’s worth noting that ‘Modern Warfare 3’ was released only a couple of weeks before the ranking period, whereas ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ has been available since February. The longevity of ‘MW3’ sales remains to be seen, but its multiplayer aspect has received positive reviews.
Related: Hogwarts Legacy 2 – in development?
Other notable mentions in the rankings include two console exclusives: ‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’ for Nintendo and ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’ for Sony, with the latter reportedly breaking records as Sony’s fastest-selling exclusive.
Activision Blizzard’s strong performance is evident, with three titles, including ‘Diablo 4’ and ‘Modern Warfare 2’, in the top 10. Microsoft’s ‘Starfield’ also makes an impressive entry in the top 10, despite being available on Xbox and PC Game Pass, indicating robust sales on Steam.
However, not all news is positive. ‘Super Mario Bros. Wonder’ and ‘Final Fantasy XVI’ have under-performed, with the latter surprisingly low despite its PlayStation exclusivity. On a brighter note, ‘Remnant 2’ has made it to the top 20, a significant achievement for a title largely overlooked by the media.
As Mat Piscatella, Executive Director & Video Game Industry Analyst at Circana, points out, ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ owes its success to consistent sales and a boost from its recent Nintendo Switch port. Meanwhile, ‘Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’, despite being the second best-selling game of 2023, trails behind its predecessor, ‘Modern Warfare 2’.
This year marks a significant shift in the gaming industry, as 2023 could be the first year since 2009 that the charts are not topped by either a ‘Call Of Duty’ game or a Rockstar Games title. This change underscores the evolving landscape of the gaming market and the rising potential for new IPs to challenge established giants.
Here is the chart in full:
