NPD has released game sales details in the United States for December 2020 and the year in its entirety; unsurprisingly, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War came out on top as 2020's best-selling title. Call of Duty entries are, of course, no stranger to topping the sales charts year-round. It should hardly come as a surprise, then, that last year was no exception.
From late 2019 to late 2020, the franchise as a whole made upwards of $3 billion for publisher Activision Blizzard. Such an astronomical figure took into account game sales, in-game purchases, licensing fees, and brand-related merchandise. Even before Black Ops Cold War's mid-November arrival, the series dominated throughout 2020 thanks to 2019's Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Mobile, and the release of Warzone. Suffice it to say, the series' latest installment was just icing on the cake.
According to NPD results shared by analyst Mat Piscatella, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War constituted 2020's top-selling title, despite it releasing only a few short weeks before year's end. It managed to dominate in the month of December, too, with Cyberpunk 2077 coming in at second place, Piscatella revealed. Activision wasn't the only publisher that dominated last year. Nintendo-published releases accounted for half of the year's best-selling games, thanks to the success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, and several others. Sony managed to make a splash during the last 12 months, as well. The Last of Us Part II counted as 2020's sixth best-selling title, followed by Ghost of Tsushima at number eight. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and MLB: The Show 20 also cracked the top 20. It's also worth noting that digital sales for Nintendo titles aren't taken into account here.
US NPD SW - 2020 Top 20 Sellers pic.twitter.com/7B0sreCkLV
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) January 15, 2021
As it does every year, the latest Call of Duty entry is sure to remain near the top of the sales charts as 2021 wears on. Treyarch's steady release of content will undoubtedly help in that regard. Just yesterday, Black Ops Cold War's mid-season update went live, adding in new maps, extra modes, and a whole host of tweaks.
For a limited time, players who don't own Black Ops Cold War can enjoy its Zombies mode free of charge. The free week of play ends on January 21 and allows PC, PlayStation, and Xbox players to try out two different Zombies modes – Die Maschine and Cranked. PS4/PS5 owners can additionally explore Onslaught, a mode exclusive on PlayStation hardware until the end of this year.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Source: Mat Piscatella - Twitter
