The Best Selling Games of 2024 in the US - Black Ops 6, Sparking Zero, & More
The biggest game releases of 2024 were met with critical praise and fierce competition. Titles like Black Ops 6 and Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero both launched in the same month, creating a race for the top game sales of the year. Though there were hundreds of releases, only ten outperformed the rest.
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We've compiled the ten top-selling video games between December 30th, 2023 and November 30th, 2024, according to Circana, and what made each of them shine brighter than most. Though many titles that reached the top ten are sports games like Madden 2025, there are also lots of surprises, like Dragon's Dogma 2 and Sparking Zero. Here's everything you need to know about the ten legendary games that outperformed the rest in 2024.
1. EA Sports College Football 25
Football games will always have a crowded player base in the US, but College Football 25 has truly taken the top spot in 2024 as the best-selling video game. Since EA Sports produces a ton of realistic sports games packed with dozens of impressive athletes, it's always fun to see how they compare to each other in the sales department.
The addition of an improved Wear and Tear mechanic made each experience in College Football 25 feel more life-like and challenging, while the upgraded visuals make the action-packed sport even more fun to experience on a big screen at home. College football has shined bright in 2024, both virtually and on the field.
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
The Black Ops franchise refuses to die, and Black Ops 6 is the newest title. Omnimovement was the biggest addition to the wildly popular FPS franchise, but BO6 also introduced multiple zombie maps and a thrilling campaign. Multiplayer maps have been lacking so far, but the reintroduction of classic Nuketown has made up for the limited list of locales.
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Black Ops 6 outsold all non-sports games in the US throughout 2024, and it's only been on the market for a little over two months. It seems that COD players have taken a liking to the advanced movement mechanics and fast-paced combat, though it still requires quite the learning curve for returning fans.
3. Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 is a fantastic third-person shooter in every way. Fend off dozens of terrifying enemies in a squad of four and survive to tell the tale, then do it all again since the levels are procedurally generated. Every experience you have in the action-packed Helldivers 2 will be totally different.
If you want to transport yourself and a few friends into a gritty third-person shooter, you can skip Fortnite and jump straight into the Helldivers universe. As Helldivers 2 was a main talking point in the gaming community for much of 2024, it's no surprise that it claims the title of the third best-selling game in the US.
4. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
There are multiple mainstream Dragon Ball games to pick from in 2024. Kakarot is great for a long-form story mode, while Xenoverse 2 is nearly an MMO at this point. However, the launch of Sparking Zero saw an uproar of fans hungry for a new 3D fighter in the Dragon Ball universe.
With a ginormous roster of over 170 fan-favorite characters from Z, GT, Super, and even the new Daima series, no fighter was left behind. Though there are still some issues that need to be worked out, the what-if story mode and huge lineup of rarely-seen characters like Ribrianne and Great Ape Baby offer so much to love about Sparking Zero for Dragon Ball fans.
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
It may surprise many gamers to see Modern Warfare 3 as a top-selling game of 2024 since it's not this year's COD. However, Black Ops 6 was only released in October, so there were nine other months for Call of Duty fans to purchase MW3. Modern Warfare 3 has an expansive multiplayer mode with sprawling maps, such as Invasion and High Rise. Plus, its campaign continues the thrilling story of the Modern Warfare universe.
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Like always, the explosive warfare of the COD franchise would be incomplete without a power-packed arsenal of weapons, including everything from simplistic pistols to armor-piercing sniper rifles. If you're a seasoned multiplayer competitor, then it's likely you've sunk limitless hours into Modern Warfare 3's core playlists.
6. Madden NFL 25
Though Madden NFL 25 wasn't especially innovative, it's still a great iteration in a decades-long franchise. Play as your favorite athlete and the most popular teams of 2025, offering a ton of freedom for every football fan.
The newest campaign mode was one of Madden NFL 25's main appeals, but the life-like tackle animations were truly the highlight. Whether you're a football fan or not, all gamers can appreciate how the Madden franchise has grown in the past decade, and why it has received the sixth spot on this list.
7. EA Sports FC 25
Soccer isn't quite as popular as American football in the United States, but it still has millions of fans in 2024, so FC won't be leaving the gaming spotlight soon. As the seventh best-selling game of the year, FC 25 features dynamic new animations and a variety of graphical enhancements over previous entries that left fans speechless.
The shift towards realistic graphics is great, but FC 25 has a lot of other fun-filled features to offer too. The newest Rush mode was one of the deciding factors that made fans decide to purchase FC 25, and it's important to note that EA's dedication to creating new ways to play is what keeps its sports games alive, as otherwise, each year's entry just feels like a re-skinned experience.
8. EA Sports MVP Bundle
Although it's not a singular game, the EA Sports MVP Bundle sold a record number of copies, so it's eighth in terms of game sales for 2024. Madden 25 and College Football 25 are both included, with their futuristic graphical enhancements and all.
You may have purchased the EA Sports MVP Bundle because you're a huge football fan, or due to its cost-effective price. Whether you wanted to try the Recharged Franchise mode or the improved mechanical systems, there are a plethora of reasons that EA's football games sold so well in 2024.
9. Elden Ring
Elden Ring has never seemed to take a strong dip in popularity since its release three years ago. As fans of hardcore fantasy combat can't get enough, it's one of the only video games on this list that's been out for multiple years. As a sort of spiritual successor to the Dark Souls franchise, Elden Ring allows you to explore an open world with terrors around every corner.
Both the combat and exploration are ten out of ten, and the recently-announced Elden Ring Nightreign will likely sell just as well upon its 2025 release. Though it may be too challenging for some, the unforgiving nature of Elden Ring is why it's ranked ninth in the United States in sales this year.
10. Dragon's Dogma 2
There aren't many new RPGs in 2024 for fans of choice-oriented games, but Dragon's Dogma 2 definitely filled the role as best it could. Play as the Arisen as you journey across a beautiful and fantastical open landscape packed with dangers and treasures. From the very beginning, you'll get to build a character in your own image, both through the narrative and by customizing how you look.
Dragon's Dogma also features an open world and challenging fantasy warfare, though it's not quite as difficult as an experience like Elden Ring. If you're a role-player at heart, then you should try Dragon's Dogma 2 to see for yourself why it sold so many copies.
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Michael Caruso is a journalist of five years who works to share his passion for gaming with the world. Throughout his career, Michael has written for various video game and news publications, focusing his writing on entertainment and the well-being of the environment. When Michael isn't writing, he can be found playing his guitar or immersed in a virtual world.