Many people will tell you that Call of Duty is dying. If that’s the case, death has never looked more profitable.
A Return To Form?
Released on October 28, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the most anticipated Call of Duty game in a long time. It was definitely a call for celebration for PC Call of Duty fans, as it is the first Call of Duty released on Steam since 2017’s Call of Duty: World War 2 (An easily forgotten entry in the franchise).
With hopes running high that Modern Warfare 2 would bring the series back to the glory days of Call of Duty, you could count on the Call of Duty community showing up for this one.
Thank you #CallOfDuty players! Together you’ve made the #ModernWarfare2 Beta the biggest Call of Duty Beta ever 💚
And we’re only getting started, prepare for Campaign Early Access, and the global launch on Oct. 28th ➡️ https://t.co/xvLUdvHXcf pic.twitter.com/b6u8UxLDxR
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) September 27, 2022
After the Modern Warfare 2 beta concluded in late September, Activision announced it was the biggest Call of Duty beta they ever had. And that was before they even allowed the Campaign to enter Early Access. All that was left was seeing how Modern Warfare 2 would perform on release.
And to say that Modern Warfare 2 is doing well would be a massive understatement.
Modern Warfare 2 Is the Fastest-Selling Call of Duty Ever
To our community – THANK YOU for making #ModernWarfare2 the #1 Call of Duty launch of all-time! And we’re just getting started 💚 pic.twitter.com/0CZTQYL71a
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) November 1, 2022
Activision announced in a press release that in the three days since its release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 generated over $800 million in sales. That makes it the most successful launch of any Call of Duty game ever. Modern Warfare 2 is also officially the most successful PlayStation Store launch of a Call of Duty title.
More than 50% of the retail sales were for PlayStation 5 copies of Modern Warfare 2.
Retail sales are doing well, with Modern Warfare 2 performing 42% better than last year’s Call of Duty: Vanguard and 9% better than 2020’s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. It’s currently a multi-chart topper, sitting at number 1 on charts like the UK and Steam Weekly Charts.
These numbers really do speak to the power of the Call of Duty name. Modern Warfare 2 is far from a perfect game, with the community taking issues with many features or lack thereof. The squad spawn system, prestige system, skill-based matchmaking, leaderboards, and subpar map design are just a few. It’s a good thing Modern Warfare 2 is bringing in the money because, once again, Ranked Play is not a launch feature. Hopefully, it won’t be long before it’s in the game.
Congratulations to Activision and Infinity Ward for shattering franchise records.