In 2023, Hogwarts Legacy emerged as the best-selling game in the United States, surpassing even stalwarts like Call of Duty.
According to final data from Circana, Hogwarts Legacy secured its position as the best-selling game of the year in the United States by selling 12 million copies in its first two weeks. It kept up its strong sales throughout the year as it was launched on last-generation platforms. Notably, this achievement breaks the streak of Rockstar games and Call of Duty titles that have traditionally dominated the annual sales chart.
It’s the first time since 2008 (with the original Rock Band) that a game developed by Rockstar or a Call of Duty game has not claimed the top spot in the annual sales chart.
Though Hogwarts Legacy has topped the charts, Modern Warfare 3 and Modern Warfare 2 both ranked No. 2 and No. 7 on the annual software list. Madden NFL 24 debuted at No. 3, placing it above Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, a PS5 exclusive, at No. 4. And since Nintendo withholds its digital sales information from Circana, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom came in at number five just from physical sales.
The complete list of best-selling games of 2023 in the US (Top 20 Best-Selling Premium Games), based on Circana’s data, includes:
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Madden NFL 25
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Diablo 4
- 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 16
- Street Fighter 6
- Elden Ring
- Mario Kart 8
- Minecraft
Not only the general list, but Circana also shared the list of best-selling games in the US charts in 2023 on specific consoles.
Top 20 Titles Ranked by U.S. Monthly Active Users:
| Rank | PlayStation Titles | Xbox Titles | Steam Titles |
| 1. | Fortnite | Fortnite | Lethal Company |
| 2. | Call of Duty HQ* | Call of Duty HQ* | The Finals |
| 3. | Grand Theft Auto V (Remastered) | Grand Theft Auto V (Remastered) | Counter-Strike 2 |
| 4. | Roblox | Roblox | Baldur’s Gate III |
| 5. | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Sony) | Minecraft | Ready or Not |
| 6. | God of War: Ragnarok | The Finals | Cyberpunk 2077 |
| 7. | NBA 2K24 | Goat Simulator 3 | Call of Duty HQ* |
| 8. | Madden NFL 24 [EA Sports] | Rainbow Six: Siege [Tom Clancy’s] | Rocket League |
| 9. | PowerWash Simulator | Far Cry 6 | BattleBit: Remastered |
| 10. | The Finals | Madden NFL 24 [EA Sports] | Grand Theft Auto V (Remastered) |
| 11. | Mortal Kombat 1 | NBA 2K24 | Destiny 2 |
| 12. | Minecraft | Remnant II | Apex Legends |
| 13. | Apex Legends | Rocket League | Rust |
| 14. | LEGO 2K Drive | Forza Horizon 5 | Team Fortress 2 |
| 15. | Rocket League | Starfield | Warhammer 40,000: Darktide |
| 16. | Rainbow Six: Siege [Tom Clancy’s] | Apex Legends | Vampire Survivors |
| 17. | Cyberpunk 2077 | Overwatch 2 | Risk of Rain 2 |
| 18. | Destiny 2 | Destiny 2 | Warframe |
| 19. | Overwatch 2 | Halo: Infinite | Rainbow Six: Siege [Tom Clancy’s] |
| 20. | NBA 2K23 | Madden NFL 23 [EA Sports] | Deep Rock Galactic |
Top 20 Best-Selling Premium Games by U.S.:
| Rank | PlayStation Titles | Xbox Titles | Nintendo Titles |
| 1. | Hogwarts Legacy | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom |
| 2. | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Hogwarts Legacy | Super Mario Bros. Wonder |
| 3. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) | Madden NFL 24 | Mario Kart 8 |
| 4. | Madden NFL 24 | Diablo IV | Pokemon: Scarlet/Violet |
| 5. | Star Wars: Jedi: Survivor | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) | Hogwarts Legacy |
| 6. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) | Star Wars: Jedi: Survivor | Super Mario RPG (2023) |
| 7. | Mortal Kombat 1 | Starfield | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate |
| 8. | Diablo IV | Mortal Kombat 1 | New Super Mario Bros. |
| 9. | EA Sports FC 24 | EA Sports FC 24 | Mario Party Superstars |
| 10. | MLB: The Show 23 | Dead Island 2 | Minecraft |
| 11. | Final Fantasy XVI | Resident Evil 4 (2023) | Animal Crossing: New Horizons |
| 12. | Resident Evil 4 (2023) | Assassin’s Creed: Mirage | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild |
| 13. | God of War: Ragnarok | Call of Duty: Black Ops III | Super Mario 3D World |
| 14. | Dead Island 2 | Elden Ring | Super Mario Odyssey |
| 15. | Street Fighter 6 | Dead Space (2023) | Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope |
| 16. | Assassin’s Creed: Mirage | Call of Duty: Black Ops II | Nintendo Switch Sports |
| 17. | FIFA 23 [EA Sports] | Madden NFL 23 | Pikmin 4 |
| 18. | Gran Turismo 7 | FIFA 23 | Kirby’s Retum to Dream Land |
| 19. | NBA 2K24* | NHL 24 | Luigi’s Mansion 3 |
| 20. | Dead Space (2023) | Remnant II | Fire Emblem Engage |
Another fact to note is, that Hogwarts Legacy was the best-selling game of the year on PlayStation platforms, ranked 2nd on Xbox platforms, and placed 5th on Nintendo platforms.
On the hardware front, the PS5 claimed the top spot as the best-selling console in both units and dollars, followed by the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X/S.
In terms of overall spending on video game content, Circana reported a 1% increase from 2022. The gaming landscape in 2023 witnessed a refreshing change with Hogwarts Legacy making a significant impact on the sales charts.
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