Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare Were 2020’s Highest Selling Games in the US

The NPD Group has released sales data for games in the United States throughout the course of 2020 (via GamesBeat), and Call of Duty has dominated proceedings over the last year, as it tends to do most years. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War topped the charts, while last year’s Modern Warfare was the second highest selling game. Collectively, Call of Duty was the highest selling franchise of the year in the US for the 12th consecutive year.

Meanwhile, the blockbuster release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons was another major defining game of 2020. It was the third highest selling game of the year in the US, and this is without digital sales data being included (since Nintendo does not provide digital data for NPD charts). The Switch-exclusive garnered the highest physical dollar sales for a Nintendo game in a single year since Wii Fit Plus in 2010.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars finished the year in eighth place, while other older major Switch exclusives also continued to exhibit strong legs, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate both figuring in the charts as well.

Then there’s The Last of Us Part 2. It was the highest selling PlayStation exclusive of the year, and the sixth highest selling game overall. With just six months of sales, it has also become Sony’s third highest selling game in the US to date, behind only Marvel’s Spider-Man and God of War (2018). 

Other major 2020 releases also performed strongly. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is No. 5 in the charts, while Ghost of Tsushima is No. 7. Final Fantasy 7 Remake comes in at No. 10, and Marvel’s Avengers is in at No. 11 in spite of the game’s commercial failings. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales takes twelfth place, while Cyberpunk 2077, with less than a month of sales (and no digital sales included) is in at No. 19.

You can check out the full top 10 below.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
4. Madden NFL 21
5. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
6. The Last of Us Part 2
7. Ghost of Tsushima
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*
9. Super Mario 3D All-Stars*
10. Final Fantasy 7 Remake
11. Marvel’s Avengers
12. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
13. NBA 2K21*
14. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
15. FIFA 21
16. Mortal Kombat 11
17. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
18. MLB: The Show 20
19. Cyberpunk 2077*
20. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2

*Digital sales not included