Sales are down: Call of Duty has posted a weak performance in the US for the first time in years

The shooter managed to top the December sales charts in the US, but the overall results for 2025 were unexpectedly modest for the franchise. Despite its status as the best-selling title of December, the new release only took fifth place for the year, significantly behind Black Ops 6, which was released in 2024.

Data from analysts at Circana shows that the series retained its December sales lead for the seventh consecutive year, continuing a tradition last broken in 2018. Then, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate took first place. However, the year-end rankings were far less favorable. Battlefield 6 leads the 2025 charts in the US, while Battlefield 7 only managed to rise from seventh place in November to fifth by the end of the year.

This is the franchise's worst annual performance in the US market since 2008, when World at War finished the year in seventh place. Possible reasons include the shooter's release as part of the Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which may have contributed to a decline in direct sales, although a similar model didn't hinder Black Ops 6. Sony also reported the game's seventh-highest download position on PS5 in the US, Canada, and Europe. Activision and Microsoft haven't disclosed specific figures, but early post-release discounts indirectly point to cautious expectations.