Best-selling video games in the US – September 2024

EA Sports FC 25 has stormed to the top of Circana’s U.S. charts for September, becoming the highest-grossing soccer game launch in history. The new entry achieved “double-digit percentage growth” compared to last year’s EA Sports FC 24, demonstrating EA’s continued dominance in the sports gaming market. EA Sports FC 25 not only led in total sales but also topped platform-specific charts for both PlayStation and Xbox.

PlayStation-exclusive Astro Bot made an impressive debut at No. 2, marking a breakthrough for the title and entering the year-to-date sales rankings at No. 25. Meanwhile, Madden NFL 25, which held the No. 1 spot last month, slipped to No. 3. The long-awaited The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launched at No. 4, drawing attention as another blockbuster release. Rounding out the top five, EA Sports College Football 25 dropped from No. 2 to No. 5, continuing a trend of falling sports titles as new releases take center stage.

This month’s rankings saw five new entries break into the Top 10. Among them, NBA 2K25 entered the list at No. 7, followed by NHL 25 at No. 9. These placements demonstrate the seasonal impact on sports games, with fan excitement peaking during the launch of each major league season.

In the broader Top 20, niche titles like Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics debuted at No. 16, showcasing the enduring appeal of retro gaming. Additionally, Space Marine 2: Warhammer 40,000 entered the chart at No. 18, suggesting solid anticipation among fans of the Warhammer franchise.

The mobile sector also witnessed significant activity. Brawl Stars saw U.S. revenue rise by 64%, fueled by a collaboration with SpongeBob SquarePants. Similarly, Last War: Survival recorded a 42% increase in downloads, with daily installs peaking at 430,000, nearly tripling the game’s previous performance.

Despite the success of several new releases, U.S. consumer spending on video games in September dropped 6% year-over-year to $4.3 billion. A staggering 44% decline in hardware spending – to just $251 million – contributed significantly to this downturn. This marks the lowest hardware expenditure for September since 2019, underscoring potential consumer hesitancy ahead of the holiday season.

Software content, however, saw only a 3% dip, with total spending reaching $3.9 billion. Year-to-date figures reflect a 30% decline in hardware spending, now at $2.5 billion, while game content spending rose 3%, suggesting gamers are shifting their focus toward software over physical hardware.