The Division 2 releases and takes the top of UK Charts

Ubisoft’s successful online shooter sequel The Division 2 has placed first in the UK physical sales chart this week. However, the game hasn’t even come close to matching the sales of the its predecessor, with sales making up about 20 percent of what The Division sold at launch.

With The Division 2 being an always online title it’s easy to see why physical sales might be down. Digital sales have grown year-on-year since the launch of The Division in 2016, meaning many consumers are likely to have purchased a copy of the sequel through a digital storefront. A similar trend has been seen with sequels to online titles in franchises such as Destiny. But until digital sales figures for the game’s launch are released, it doesn’t appear to be as strong a title.

60 percent of sales of The Division 2 were for Playstation 4, with the remainder for Xbox One. Early reviews have been positive, and many are saying that the game is easily playable as a group or solo, something a number of gamers seek out in an online title. This could provide a boost to sales as time goes on, as long as the player base doesn’t begin to tire of the endgame content.

Last week’s top game, Devil May Cry 5, has dropped down to sixth place in the chart due to a decrease in week-on-week sales of 76 percent. The game has been a huge success among fans, and Capcom have confirmed the first piece of post-release content will be launching in April, which could provide a boost to sales down the line.

Red Dead Redemption 2 saw an increase in sales of 22 percent week-on-week, helping it maintain its position in second place. Both Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5 benefitted from retail discounts this week, pushing Grand Theft Auto 5 to third place with a boost in week-on-week sales of 121 percent.

FIFA 19 has moved up one place to fourth this week thanks to an increase in sales of 31 percent week-on-week. The launch of the Nintendo Switch version of The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame has given it a boost, placing in fifth this week.

With a drop in week-on-week sales of 12 percent, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition has fallen to seventh place this week. However, the game is still selling strong considering it launched very early on in the Nintendo Switch lifecycle.

The other big online shooter to launch recently, Anthem, has fallen to eleventh this week. The game has seen some turbulence in the community regarding bugs in the game and fixes that seem to cause even more problems. Unless developer Bioware tend more closely to the needs of players Anthem could fall off the map.

The only other new release this week, One Piece World Seeker, entered the chart in twenty-eighth place this week. The series has a niche audience, so this level of sales was to be expected.

A more extended list of top sellers can be found here.