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For the first time in more than a decade, the annual U.S. video game sales race is shaping up without Call of Duty at the top, and the difference is more substantial than a single strong launch window.
Multiple breakdowns of Circana’s 2025 sales tracking show that Battlefield 6 is the top-selling premium game of the year in the U.S. by dollar sales, based on both physical releases and aggregated digital data.
Despite arriving later than most rivals, Battlefield 6 has remained the best-selling game since October.
What Happened to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s Usual Sales Dominance?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 once again led its release month, ending November as the best-selling game and continuing the franchise’s streak of launch-month dominance.
However, when viewed in the context of the full year, Black Ops 7 currently sits outside the top five and ranks seventh year-to-date, a placement that has surprised analysts and fans alike.
While its later launch compared to Battlefield 6 limited its sales window, the shortfall is still notable for a franchise that has almost always ended the year in first or second place.
How Do Sales Metrics and Game Pass Affect the Comparison?
Much of the discussion revolves around sales measurement.
Circana’s rankings consider only full-game dollar sales, do not include add-ons or subscriptions, and are compiled using publisher-supplied data rather than complete platform data.
This has a disproportionate impact on Call of Duty in 2025, as Black Ops 7 launched day one into Xbox Game Pass, likely diverting a significant portion of its player base away from outright purchases on Xbox consoles.
Although these factors make direct comparisons harder, analysts such as Circana’s Mat Piscatella have said Battlefield 6 is still extremely likely to finish 2025 as the top-selling premium title in the U.S.
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