Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 releases and tops UK charts

In this week’s UK game charts, the newly released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 took the No.1 spot, dropping the former top spot holder, Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros Wonder down to the No.3 position.

In terms of physical copy sales, the statistics show that more players bought the newest chapter in the Call of Duty franchise on the PlayStation 5 compared to the Xbox Series X/S. However, despite taking the No.1 spot in the charts, total sales for the game are more than 25% lower than that of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 from the previous year.

In spite of the hype and anticipation surrounding the game, MW3 has officially received the lowest critics score of any game in the history of the franchise. The game is being bashed by reviewers for its incredibly short and uninspired solo campaign as well as its rehashed and lackluster multiplayer mode.

This has led many players to believe that the game is little more than a cash grab, with some even requesting refunds. Inside sources have revealed that the game was developed in around half the time of a usual Call of Duty development cycle. This resulted in the title being rushed and explains the reason for much of the game’s current subpar state.

Other than Modern Warfare 3, two other titles debuted in the charts this week. The launch of the popular football manager sim Football Manager 2024 entered the charts at No.5, while Disney’s Dreamlight Valley finally launched in an official capacity after being in early access for over a year and initially being set to be a free-to-play title. It enters the charts in the underwhelming No.32 position.

It is no surprise that EA Sports FC 24 has retained its standing in the charts. The globally popular football title currently stands at No.2 in the charts and will most likely remain in the top 5 for the rest of the year. The recently released Spider-Man 2 stands in the No.4 position, having built on the success of the original game and the sequel has now also been well received by fans.

In other chart news, having debuted in the No. 4 position last week, Robocop Rogue City has now fallen out of the top 10 to the No.13 spot following a 60%+ drop in sales. After almost six months in the charts, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom still remains in the top 20 at No.18.

In somewhat of a surprise and thanks to continuing retailer promotions, a number of games re-entered the charts this week. These included the Outright Games published title PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night. The kids platforming adventure enjoyed a significant boost in sales for both the PS5 and the Xbox One.

Some other games to have received a substantial resurgence in sales recently were Diablo 4, Just Dance 2021, Super Mario Party, and Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix. The PS4’s Batman Arkham Collection also experienced a 100%+ increase in sales.