Top Sellers
For many years Call of Duty has typically been the US's best-selling game each year, although Hogwarts Legacy was the No. 1 best-selling game in the US for 2023. That's notable because it's the first time since 2008 that neither a CoD game nor the latest Rockstar Games release was No. 1. With 2023's best-selling games announced, we're now looking back at the past 25 years of game sales in the US, which can be quite eye-opening to look at today.
Circana (formerly the NPD Group) released this data on social media by way of analyst Mat Piscatella. These lists are ranked on dollar sales, not unit sales. Something else to note is that the lists include physical game sales and digital sales (from 2012 onwards)--but only from publishers who provide that data. Not every company does, though, so these lists are not perfect. It's also worth bearing in mind they cover only a calendar year, meaning steady sellers over time, such as Minecraft, don't rank as highly as you might expect. With those caveats in mind, these lists do provide a general overview of which games sold the best in the US over the past 25 years.
As you'll notice, Call of Duty and GTA games are regular chart-toppers, as are sports games like Madden and the incredibly popular Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises. But there are many others--wrestling games, Need for Speed, and others--that once dominated the charts but haven't made an appearance on them in years.
Scroll through the slides below to see all the best-selling games of the past quarter century.
1998
The top-selling games of 1998 were revolutionary. Ocarina of Time established many 3D mechanics that set trends for years; GoldenEye demonstrated that first-person shooters could thrive on console; Banjo established a formula for mascot platformers; and Gran Turismo was the first major simulation-style racing game.
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- 007: GoldenEye
- WWE Warzone
- NFL Blitz
- WCW/NWO Revenge
- Resident Evil 2
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Gran Turismo
- Madden NFL 99
- Super Mario 64
- Tekken 3
- Mario Kart 64
- Metal Gear Solid
- Yoshi's Island
- 1080 Snowboarding
- NFL Game Day 99
- Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
- Tomb Raider 2: Adventures of Lara Croft
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
- WCW vs. NWO: World Tour
1999
Nintendo dominated 1999, with nine of the top 10 best-selling games coming from the Japanese game giant. Only WWE: Attitude prevented Nintendo from holding all of the top 10 spots, marking a continuing trend of wrestling games selling extremely well in the late '90s.
- Donkey Kong 64
- Pokemon Red/Blue
- Pokemon Red
- Pokemon Snap
- Pokemon Yellow
- Super Smash Bros.
- WWE: Attitude
- Pokemon: Pinball
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Mario Party
- Driver
- Final Fantasy VIII
- Madden NFL 2000
- Star Wars Episode I: Racer
- NFL Blitz 2000
- Ready 2 Rumble: Boxing
- 007: GoldenEye
- Gran Turismo
- Syphon Filter
2000
The year 2000 began a streak of the annual Madden football release being in the top 10; this streak has continued every year since. This was also the last year for some time that was dominated by Nintendo games, though of course Nintendo's iconic and popular games would continue to put up big sales numbers in years to come.
- Pokemon Gold/Silver
- Pokemon Stadium
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Madden NFL 2001
- The Sims
- Diablo II
- Pokemon Yellow
- Perfect Dark
- Mario Party 2
- WWE No Mercy
- WWE Smackdown
- Gran Turismo 2
- 007: The World Is Not Enough
- Donkey Kong 64
- WWE Smackdown 2
- RollerCoaster Tycoon
- Final Fantasy IX
- NFL 2K1
2001
GTA III marked a major moment for the series, as the shift to 3D proved to be tremendously popular, and a major source of inspiration for countless games to come. However, it wasn't enough to unseat Madden. 2001 also marked another year of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater dominance, with not one but two games landing inside the top five.
- Madden NFL 2002
- GTA III
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
- Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
- The Sims
- Pokemon Gold/Silver
- Pokemon Stadium 2
- NBA Live 02
- Pokemon Crystal
- Max Payne
- Halo: Combat Evolved
- Final Fantasy X
- Super Mario Advance
- Madden NFL 2001
- Super Smash Bros. Melee
- NBA Live 2001
- Luigi's Mansion
2002
GTA: Vice City was No. 1, and GTA III landed No. 3, but 2002 was also dominated by tons of EA-published games like Medal of Honor: Frontline, Madden 2003, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and 007 Nightfire.
- GTA: Vice City
- Madden NFL 2003
- GTA III
- Spider-Man: The Movie
- Medal of Honor: Frontline
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
- Kingdom Hearts
- NCAA Football 2003
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- 007: Nightfire
- Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
- WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
- Halo: Combat Evolved
- Max Payne
- SOCOM: US Navy Seals
- Super Mario Sunshine
- The Sims
- 007: Agent Under Fire
2003
In the early-to-mid 2000s, Need for Speed was a super-popular franchise, as evidenced by Need for Speed Underground landing at No. 2. The run wouldn't last, though, as Need for Speed never charted this high ever again and new releases haven't appeared inside the top 20 for almost 20 years.
- Madden NFL 2004
- Need for Speed Underground
- Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire
- Enter the Matrix
- Tony Hawk's Underground
- The Sims
- True Crime: Streets of LA
- Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
- NCAA Football 2004
- The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
- NBA Live 2004
- GTA: Vice City
- The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
- Mario Kart: Double Dash
- SoulCalibur II
- NBA Street Vol. 2
- Splinter Cell
- Rockstar Games Double Pack: GTA
- The Simpsons: Hit & Run
- Final Fantasy X-2
2004
Halo's big moment came in 2004; whereas Combat Evolved only ranked No. 14 back in 2001, Halo 2 charted No. 2 in its debut year, only behind GTA: San Andreas. The Halo series will continue to do well in years to come, as you'll see.
- GTA: San Andreas
- Halo 2
- Madden NFL 2005
- Need for Speed: Underground 2
- Spider-Man 2
- Pokemon Fire Red / Leaf Green
- NCAA Football 2005
- Star Wars Battlefront
- NBA Live 05
- MVP Baseball 2004
- Tony Hawk's Underground 2
- Need for Speed: Underground
- NFL Street
- Call of Duty: Finest Hour
- The Sims 2
- Shrek 2
- NFL 2K5
- The Incredibles
- Fight Night 2004
- SpongeBob Squarepants: The Movie
2005
Call of Duty shows up in a big way for the first time in 2005, with Call of Duty 2 landing in the No. 3 position for the year. Every year since 2009, a Call of Duty release has been No. 1 or No. 2, running up through 2023.
- Madden NFL 06
- Star Wars Battlefront II
- Call of Duty 2
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- NCAA Football 06
- Gran Turismo 4: The Real Driving Simulator
- GTA: San Andreas
- NBA Live 06
- Lego Star Wars
- Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition
- Pokemon Emerald
- The Sims 2
- Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
- MVP Baseball 2005
- Resident Evil 4
- Nintendogs
- Need for Speed: Underground 2
- World of Warcraft
- Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
2006
Microsoft's Gears of War series debuted in 2006 and did very well on Xbox 360, becoming the No. 2 best-selling game of the year. The franchise only declined from here in terms of its ranking on these lists, however. 2006 was also the last year where Need for Speed appears inside the top 20.
- Madden NFL 07
- Gears of War
- NCAA Football 07
- Guitar Hero II
- Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- Call of Duty 3
- Cars
- Need for Speed: Carbon
- Kingdom Hearts II
- Fight Night: Round 3
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
- Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Call of Duty 2
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted
- New Super Mario Bros.
- Final Fantasy XII
- Nintendogs
- WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007
- Guitar Hero
2007
2007 was a huge year for big names, as this was the year that saw the release of Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, CoD 4, and BioShock. But it was Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock that sold the most. Remember, though, this ranking is based on dollar sales, and music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band benefited greatly from the plastic peripherals. Still, those games--now somewhat of a distant memory--did prove to be tremendously popular for multiple years.
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
- Madden NFL 08
- Guitar Hero II
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Halo 3
- Wii Play
- Rock Band
- Assassin's Creed
- Pokemon Diamond/Pearl
- Super Mario Galaxy
- Mario Party 8
- NCAA Football 08
- WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 Featuring ECW
- World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade
- Transformers: The Game
- Spider-Man 3
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- God of War II
- Nintendogs
- BioShock
2008
2008 saw the release of GTA IV, but--despite how massive the franchise has become--it didn't even crack the top five. The winner of 2008 was Rock Band, with GTA IV landing in the No. 8 position for the year.
- Rock Band
- Guitar Hero: World Tour
- Wii Fit
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
- Madden NFL 09
- Wii Play
- Call of Duty: World at War
- Grand Theft Auto IV
- Mario Kart Wii
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- Rock Band 2
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Gears of War 2
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
- Fallout 3
- Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
- NCAA Football 09
- Rainbow Six Vegas 2
2009
2009's top-sellers included lots of Wii games, as Nintendo's motion-controlled console far surpassed the install base of its previous consoles. 2009 also marked the start of Call of Duty's win streak that was only interrupted in 2013 (GTA 5), 2018 (Red Dead Redemption II), and 2023 (Hogwarts Legacy).
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
- Wii Fit
- New Super Mario Bros.
- Madden NFL 10
- Wii Fit Plus
- Wii Sports Resort
- Guitar Hero: World Tour
- Halo 3
- Rock Band 2
- Mario Kart Wii
- Wii Play
- Assassin's Creed II
- Resident Evil V
- Call of Duty: World at War
- UFC 2009 Undisputed
- The Beatles Rock Band
- DJ Hero
- Batman: Arkham Asylum
- Left 4 Dead 2
- NCAA Football 10
2010
2010 marked the first time an NBA 2K game made the list, and it only got better for the series in ensuing years as the franchise continued to dominate the top-seller charts.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Halo Reach
- Wii Fit Plus
- Madden NFL 11
- New Super Mario Bros.
- Red Dead Redemption
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
- Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver
- Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
- NBA 2K11
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2
- Just Dance 2
- Super Mario Galaxy 2
- God of War III
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
- Fallout: New Vegas
- Wii Sports Resort
- Mario Kart Wii
- NCAA Football 11
- Final Fantasy XIII
2011
This was a breakout year for The Elder Scrolls and Bethesda in general. The Fallout and Elder Scrolls franchises hadn't charted exceptionally well until 2011, but Skyrim continued to appear in the years to come (thanks in part to numerous re-releases), and later on Fallout 4 would perform exceptionally well.
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Madden NFL 12
- Battlefield 3
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Just Dance 3
- Gears of War 3
- Batman: Arkham City
- Pokemon Black/White
- Assassin's Creed Revelations
- Mortal Kombat
- NBA 2K12
- New Super Mario Bros.
- NCAA Football 12
- Just Dance 2
- LA Noire
- Zumba Fitness
- FIFA Soccer 12
- Skylanders Spyro's Adventure
- Marvel vs. Capcom 3
2012
2012 marked the best-ever showing for the Assassin's Creed series, with ACIII finishing No. 4 for the year. Borderlands 2 was another notable release that landed No. 5 after the first game didn't make the charts years prior. Diablo III only came in at No. 13, but it would go on to become one of the best-selling games ever as it was dramatically improved and ported to consoles.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II
- Halo 4
- Madden NFL 13
- Assassin's Creed III
- Borderlands 2
- NBA 2K13
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
- Just Dance 4
- Mass Effect 3
- Skylanders: Giants
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- FIFA Soccer 13
- Diablo III
- NCAA Football 13
- New Super Mario Bros.*
- Battlefield 3
- NBA 2K12
- Far Cry 3
- Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
- Skylanders Spyro's Adventure
*Digital sales not included
2013
2013 saw the release of Rockstar's blockbuster action game GTA V, and, well, we all know what happened in the years after. GTA V kept selling and selling and selling--it went on to make the top 20 of every subsequent year until 2023, when that streak finally ended.
- GTA V
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- Madden NFL 25
- Battlefield 4
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
- NBA 2K14
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II
- Pokemon X/Y*
- Disney Infinity
- BioShock Infinite
- FIFA 14
- Skylanders: Swap Force
- Injustice: Gods Among Us
- The Last of Us
- Minecraft
- Batman: Arkham Origins
- Just Dance 2014
- NCAA Football 14
- NBA 2K13
- Tomb Raider
*Digital sales not included
2014
In 2014, CoD: Advanced Warfare reigned supreme, but other storylines included Destiny coming in at No. 2--a strong start for Bungie's first post-Halo series--and this being the last year where Disney Infinity/Skylanders-style titles with physical figures landed on the charts. Additionally, 2014 was the first time Mario Kart 8 showed up. It didn't rank very highly (No. 17), but that could be because the Wii U didn't do all that well. MK8 picked up steam again after the launch of the Switch port and it would become a sales juggernaut--it stands as the best-selling game on both Wii U and Switch by a sizable margin.
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- Destiny
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Madden NFL 15
- Watch Dogs
- NBA 2K15
- Super Smash Bros.*
- Titanfall
- FIFA 15
- Minecraft
- Far Cry 4
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire*
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
- Dragon Age: Inquisition
- Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Superheroes
- Mario Kart 8*
- NBA 2K14
- Diablo III
- Skylanders Trap Team
*Digital sales not included
2015
Black Ops III was 2015's biggest seller, but another storyline was that the new Battlefield and Halo games--Battlefield Hardline and Halo 5--didn't crack the top 5. Also notable is that Minecraft never shows up very highly in any yearly chart--it reached a peak of No. 10 in 2014--but it showed up eight times overall and stands as the second best-selling game ever.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III
- Fallout 4
- GTA V
- Star Wars Battlefront
- Madden NFL 16
- NBA 2K16
- Mortal Kombat X
- Destiny
- Halo 5: Guardians
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- Battlefield Hardline
- FIFA 16
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- Dying Light
- Minecraft
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- Dragon Ball: Xenoverse
- Lego: Jurassic World
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt*
*Digital sales not included
2016
It is the year 2016 and Skyrim is still selling well, landing at No. 9 for the year 2016. Also of note is that Ubisoft's Watch Dogs 2 slipped down the charts to No. 19 after a strong debut for the first game at No. 5 years prior. Another new Ubisoft franchise, The Division, made it all the way to No. 3. What's more, the fan-favorite Titanfall 2 only reached No. 18.
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
- Battlefield 1
- The Division
- NBA 2K17
- Madden NFL 17
- GTA V
- Pokemon Sun/Moon*
- Overwatch
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
- FIFA 17
- Final Fantasy XV
- Doom
- Dark Souls III
- Minecraft
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
- Far Cry Primal
- Titanfall 2
- Watch Dogs 2
- Gears of War 4
*Digital sales not included
2017
2017 marked the first appearance of a Zelda game on these lists in a decade, with Breath of the Wild landing at No. 5, and that's not including any digital sales. 2017 saw the release of the Switch, and the good times just started rolling for the company this year, with Mario Kart 8 also surging up to No. 10.
- Call of Duty: WWII
- NBA 2K18
- Destiny 2
- Madden NFL 18
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
- GTA V
- Ghost Recon: Wildlands
- Star Wars Battlefront II
- Super Mario Odyssey*
- Mario Kart 8*
- Assassin's Creed Origins
- FIFA 18
- For Honor
- Injustice 2
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Mass Effect Andromeda
- Resident Evil 7
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Overwatch
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War
*Digital sales not included
2018
Call of Duty's annual win streak was interrupted in 2018 by Red Dead Redemption II, and another big winner was the PlayStation-exclusive God of War (No. 8). Monster Hunter World also put up big numbers and finished ninth for the year, marking the only appearance for the franchise in these lists.
- Red Dead Redemption II
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- NBA 2K19
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- Madden NFL 19
- Spider-Man'
- Far Cry 5
- God fo War
- Monster Hunter World
- Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu*
- GTA V
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey
- Mario Kart 8*
- Fallout 76
- FIFA 19
- Battlefield V
- Super Mario Odyssey*
- Dragon Ball FighterZ
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
- Call of Duty: WWII
*Digital sales not included
2019
One big storyline from 2019 was that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order did very well, landing at No. 7 and becoming the highest result for a single--player, non-Lego Star Wars game since 2005. 2019 also saw the release of CoD: Modern Warfare, which was a beloved reboot of the Call of Duty sub-series and a sales powerhouse.
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- NBA 2K20
- Madden NFL 20
- Pokemon Sword/Shield*
- Borderlands 3
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- Kingdom Hearts III
- The Division 2
- Mario Kart 8*
- GTA V
- Red Dead Redemption II
- Minecraft
- Anthem
- FIFA 20
- Resident Evil 2
- Luigi's Mansion 3*
- Days Gone
- New Super Mario Bros.*
*Digital sales not included
2020
The world was rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and a lot of people stayed home and played games. A notable occurrence during the year was that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare finished No. 1 and No. 2 for the year, marking the only time there were CoD games in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. (Perhaps not coincidentally, this was the year Call of Duty: Warzone launched, potentially boosting other games in the series.) Animal Crossing: New Horizons also performed wildly well, no doubt thanks in part to stay-at-home orders and people looking for something fun, cozy, and wholesome to play.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- NBA 2K21
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
- Madden NFL 21
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- The Last of Us: Part II
- GTA V
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Doom Eternal
- Mario Kart 8*
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars*
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Marvel's Avengers
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Minecraft
- NBA 2K20
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- FIFA 21
- Red Dead Redemption II
*Digital sales not included
2021
Call of Duty: Vanguard was 2021's top-selling game in the US for 2021, a year that also saw NBA 2K22 finish second and another CoD game, Black Ops Cold War, finish third. The poorly received and buggy Battlefield 2042 managed to finish No. 6 for the year, despite its issues.
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- NBA 2K22
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Madden NFL 22
- Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl*
- Battlefield 2042
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Mario Kart 8
- GTA V
- Resident Evil Village
- MLB The Show 21
- Far Cry 6
- Super Mario 3D World*
- FIFA 22
- Minecraft
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
- NBA 2K21
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Back 4 Blood
*Digital sales not included
2022
In 2022, Elden Ring was the top-selling game in the US every month from February until CoD: Modern Warfare II came out. It finished No. 2 for the year, which is especially notable given that From Software's earlier Souls-likes are absent from these lists (save for Dark Souls III ranking No. 14 in 2016.)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
- Elden Ring
- NBA 2K23
- Madden NFL 23
- God of War Ragnarok
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Pokemon Scarlet / Violet*
- FIFA 23
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus*
- Horizon 2: Forbidden West
- GTA V
- WWE 2K22
- Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
- MLB The Show 22
- Mario Kart 8*
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- NBA 2K22
- Gran Turismo 7
- Red Dead Redemption II
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
*Digital sales not included
2023
Call of Duty's win streak was interrupted once again in 2023 when Hogwarts Legacy outsold Modern Warfare III and every other game. Another notable takeaway was that Starfield debuted lower than previous Bethesda releases. This might be explained, however, due to how Starfield was also released on Game Pass for all subscribers, something that adds further complexity to examining video game sales in recent years.
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
- Madden NFL 24
- Spider-Man 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom*
- Diablo IV
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- EA Sports FC 24
- Starfield
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder*
- Resident Evil 4
- MLB The Show 23^
- Dead Island 2
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Street Fighter 6
- Elden Ring
- Mario Kart 8*
- Minecraft
*Digital sales not included
^ Xbox and Switch digital sales not included
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