13 years after the release of the original game, the rebooted Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has had the biggest launch ever for the Call of Duty series on the PlayStation Store. The announcement came from an official PlayStation tweet, with the new record for series sales including preorder purchases and day one sales.
The success of Modern Warfare 2 isn’t just a digital one, as the game has topped the physical boxed gaming charts in the UK. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Modern Warfare 2 physical sales are up by 42% compared to last year’s Call of Duty: Vanguard, and 9% higher than 2020’s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. The game has sold 61% less than the first rebooted Modern Warfare, but with the digital sales being record highs for PlayStation it is possible they offset the physical sales dip.
Approximately 71% of boxed UK sales of Modern Warfare 2 were on PlayStation consoles, showcasing Sony’s giant audience for what may soon become a Microsoft-owned property. As we reported earlier, Phil Spencer of Xbox has said the company intends to release future Call of Duty games on PlayStation systems even after their acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This statement is very different to what PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan said just last month, saying that Sony has only been offered three years worth of Call of Duty titles after current contracts end.
We loved Modern Warfare 2, which we gave a brilliant 9 score in our review. GameLuster writer Matt Bailey describes the game as a “hardcore, hyper-masculine sequel brimming with gorgeous visuals and ambitious action set pieces, all rolled together to serve as a faithful update to the original game.” Be warned, as our review contains spoilers for the game.
Are you surprised by the success of Modern Warfare 2? Let us know in the comments below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more gaming news.
