In newly released sales figures from the UK, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has been beaten to the top spot by Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Both Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have been highly anticipated releases for this new generation of gaming. With a strong and dedicated fanbase already established for each franchise, there was never any doubt that both games would do remarkably well in sales after the launches of the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 earlier this month.
Both games use historical events as a key part of their narratives. While the Assassin’s Creed franchise leans more towards the fantastical, letting players tackle mythological creatures and lands, the Call of Duty series has always presented a gritty realism to its story telling. But despite both being AAA blockbuster games, only one can claim the top spot in the sales. And for the first time in 13 years, it is not Call of Duty that has taken the crown.
New data shows that it is in fact Assassin’s Creed Valhalla that has won the coveted top spot in UK gaming. GamesIndustry.biz reports that, while Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War still did remarkably well and takes second place, Ubisoft’s Viking epic came in at number one. The latest title in the Assassin’s Creed series knocked last week’s previous top place holder, Fifa 21, down to fourth place, with the PS5 exclusive Spider-Man: Miles Morales debuting in third place on the UK chart.
It was no secret that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was already doing incredibly well in sales. Ubisoft even issued a press release thanking its fans for their commitment to the game, in which it acknowledged that within 24 hours of launching, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla had double the online players of its predecessor, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
It is worth noting however that these figures only consider the sales of boxed games within the UK. With the coronavirus pandemic still requiring parts of the UK to be in lockdown once again, retailers and consumers have had to adapt to a new way of doing things, meaning that it is likely that most games were purchased in their digital formats rather than the hard copy. And, as of yet, there is no evidence to say that digital sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War didn’t surpass that of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Assassin's Creed Valhalla is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz