Sekiro Shadows Die Twice releases and takes the top

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the latest hack and slash game by From Software, has gone straight to the top of the weekly UK physical sales charts. The title, a brand new IP, bumped last week’s number one Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 into second place, but by the narrowest of margins. Only 800 sales separated the two games.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the first From Software game to top the charts since Dark Souls III in 2016. It didn’t, however, post comparable numbers to the final instalment in the Dark Souls trilogy. Indeed, Dark Souls III shipped twice as many units as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice in its first week on sale. Another From Software hit, Bloodborne, achieved 30% more sales than Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice in its first week of release.

Nonetheless, allowing for the increasing shift from physical to digital sales that has taken place in the past few years. From Software are likely to be happy with the performance of their new IP.

As we reported yesterday, the game has also been a hit on Steam, placing fourth in their charts.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 saw a week-on-week sales fall of 46%. This is actually a relatively small drop for a game on its second week of release, which may indicate that the title is gaining traction.

In contrast, Devil May Cry V, which retailed a week before The Division 2 and topped the charts in its first week, has now fallen from the top ten. A significant sales drop sees it place 13th.

Third to sixth place in the charts are held by titles with strong staying power: FIFA 19, Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The fact that GTAV places above the much newer Rockstar Games blockbuster, Red Dead Redemption 2, can be explained by the fact that it has been subject to a price discount and is now available for less than £20.

With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice the seventh different game to top the UKIE/GfK charts in 2019, it appears that the market is as hungry for new titles as ever. Will there be another new number one next week?

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