Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is already the best-selling game of 2022 in the US, replacing Elden Ring at the top of the charts.
According to US market analyst group NPD, based on dollar sales Modern Warfare 2 was the best-selling game of November 2022, followed by God of War: Ragnarok, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and Sonic Frontiers. It's worth noting, however, that NPD doesn't track digital sales for first-party Nintendo titles - those Pokemon games could potentially rank higher.
Based on sales data up to November 26, just under a month after launch, Modern Warfare 2 is already the best-selling game of the calendar year, too. You can see the full report on LinkedIn.
"From the start, the excitement for Modern Warfare II has been incredible," Activision president Rob Kostich says in a statement. "We're grateful to our fans, who have come together in record numbers. We know our players always have many entertainment choices in front of them, which our teams recognize and are constantly driving to create exciting, new experiences. Our first mid-season content refresh is only days away, and there's so much more to come in 2023."
NPD has reported a Call of Duty game as the best-selling title for 12 of the past 14 years - topped only in 2013 by Grand Theft Auto 5 and in 2018 by Red Dead Redemption 2. But Elden Ring's popularity has been downright historic. In fact, NPD's Mat Piscatella was projecting that Elden Ring would beat out COD for 2022's top spot, too, though it seems even Malenia can't stand up to the power of Captain Price's mustache in the end.
But lest we feel sorry for Elden Ring, it's still the second-biggest seller of the year and perhaps the year's most beloved release. It started to draw game of the year nods as early as September's Japan Game Awards, continuing to win titles like the Golden Joysticks' Ultimate Game of the Year. Elden Ring also took top honors at The Game Awards last night, as director Hidetaka Miyazaki committed to creating "more and more interesting games".
We haven't finalized our game of the year choices just yet, but you can check out our rundown of the best games of 2022 for some of our favorites.
