What you need to know
- Analytics group Circana provides monthly insight into video game hardware and software sales in the U.S.
- EA Sports College Football 25 was the best-selling game of June 2024, and is already the best-selling game of the year in the U.S, per Circana.
- PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month, while Xbox Series X|S took second place.
College football is back.
That’s the extremely truncated version of what Circana executive director and advisor Mat Piscatella shared on Wednesday, revealing that EA Sports College Football 25 was the best-selling game of June 2024 in the U.S. This college football revival was also the best-selling game of the year in the U.S so far, despite only being available on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles. Elden Ring, the best-selling game of June 2024 in the U.S, held strong at third place for July.
EA’s College Football 25 only being available on the latest consoles means said consoles also saw a sales boost, with Piscatella noting that growth in PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S sales offset a decline in Nintendo Switch hardware. PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month in units and dollar sales, with Xbox Series X|S second in both respects, and this was the best-ever July for Xbox Series X|S sales. Overall, the gaming industry saw $4.8 billion in revenue for the month in the U.S, a 10% increase year-over-year.
You can find details on all the best-selling games of the month below, though remember as always that some studios and publishers (like Nintendo) share limited data.
July 2024 Circana: Here are the top 20 best-selling games in the U.S.
1. EA Sports College Football 25
2. EA Sports MVP Bundle
3. Elden Ring
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
5. Minecraft
6. Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition*
7. Hogwarts Legacy
8. MLB The Show 24**
9. EA Sports FC 24
10. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
11. Mortal Kombat 1
12. Mario Kart 8*
13. Helldivers 2
14. Tekken 8
15. Luigi’s Mansion 2*
16. Sea of Thieves
17. UFC 5
18. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
19. The Crew Motorfest
20. Ghost of Tsushima
July 2024 Circana: Here are the best-selling games of the year so far
1. EA Sports College Football 25
2. Helldivers 2
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
4. Dragon’s Dogma 2
5. EA Sports MVP Bundle
6. Elden Ring
7. MLB The Show 24**
8. WWE 2K24***
9. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
10. Tekken 8
11. Hogwarts Legacy
12. Madden NFL 24
13. NBA 2K24
14. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
15. EA Sports FC 24
16. Persona 3 Reload
17. Minecraft
18. Grand Theft Auto V***
19. Sea of Thieves
20. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
*Denotes no digital sales data
**Denotes no digital sales data on Xbox or Nintendo Switch
***Denotes no digital sales data for May through July
Analysis: A much-needed market boost
Players have been eagerly awaiting the return of college football ever since its absence following the launch of NCAA Football 14 in 2013, and it’s clear that EA finally listening to those requests and investing in a quality experience has paid off. The market’s woes are hardly solved, but both current console platforms got a great boost in the U.S, and those players can possibly be encouraged to check out other games now that they’re in the ecosystem.
Looking ahead, I’m extremely curious about frontloaded College Football 25 ends up being, as well as the performance of a number of games like Diablo 4 and Starfield that have upcoming expansions.
