In the latest industry data, Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War remains the best-selling video game in 2021. Within a month of the game's November 2020 launch, it sold more than 5.7 million units, worth over $678 million. Throughout 2021, Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War has remained a financial success for Activision, further brightening the Call of Duty brand. Call of Duty: Black Ops remains the highest-selling Call of Duty game in the franchise, with approximately 31 million sales as of October 2019.
The hype around Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War revolved around its historical setting between the highly successful Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops II titles, during an alternative take on the Cold War of the 1980s. The unique marketing campaign deployed by Activision also worked in the game's favor; the company popular Call of Duty streamers in August 2020 and led them through an in-depth Alternate-Reality Game to market the upcoming title. The game's massive commercial success gave it a strong opportunity to be the best-selling video game in both 2020 and 2021.
According to data published by the NPD Group, Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War remains the top-selling video game of 2021 through May. However, the buzz around Resident Evil Village caused the game to debut as the second best-selling game in 2021 overall, and the best-selling game in May. An NPD analyst told Venture Beat that total video game sales in May reached $4.5 billion, a 3% increase from May 2020.
The somewhat surprising surge of Resident Evil Village threatens Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War's spot as the top-selling game of 2021 if the Capcom title continues its impressive momentum. However, the Call of Duty ranked third in total sales during May, with MLB: The Show 21 coming in second -- showing that the title remains a popular purchase for gamers.
Due to its success, Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War remains heavily supported by Activision, as the publisher continues to deliver content to a quickly growing player base for the title. At its current pace, the newest entry into the Call of Duty franchise will eventually become the best-selling game in the series. If the game can reach those heights, further doors could open for the franchise. A dedicated sequel to Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War is a possibility, as are several other options which are likely already under consideration by decision-makers at Activision. Upcoming reveals for the remaining seasons of Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War will determine the heights the game will reach.
Source: NPD Group, Venture Beat