Adam Starkey
Published November 24, 2025 6:00pm
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Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 – the only way is down (Activision)
The latest instalment of Activision’s shooter has seen disappointing sales worldwide, with Black Ops 7 hitting new lows in Japan.
Call Of Duty has been a sales behemoth in the gaming industry for almost two decades, but new data suggests the latest instalment has missed the mark.
Along with being criticised for its abysmal campaign and use of generative AI, Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 has had more competition this year than usual, from the likes of Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders.
Call Of Duty games have typically sold well despite the criticism levelled against them, but it seems like the winds have changed this year and fans have not returned in their usual numbers.
According to GSD data, sales of Black Ops 7 in Europe are 63% below that of Battlefield 6 during its launch week in October.
Perhaps more notably, it’s estimated that Black Ops 7 sales are down by more than 50% over last year’s entry, Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6.
GSD data tracks digital and physical sales across Europe, but it doesn’t include downloads via subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. Unlike Battlefield 6, Black Ops 7 was available via Game Pass, so that will have skewed the results to an extent.
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However, even with that caveat, it’s clear Battlefield 6 has been the more popular choice this year. As we discovered last week, EA’s shooter is the highest-selling game of 2025 so far in the US, beating Monster Hunter Wilds and NBA 2K26.
It isn’t only in Europe that Black Ops 7 has faltered. As shared by gaming analyst Zuby_Tech on X, Black Ops 7 had the lowest retail launch of any Call Of Duty game ever in Japan, selling just 12,311 units. For comparison, Black Ops 6 sold 32,628 copies in the region last year, while 2007’s Call Of Duty 3 on the PlayStation 3 even sold better with 14,117 sales.
Call Of Duty Black Ops 7 The Lowest Retail Launch Sales Ever In Japan! pic.twitter.com/zkQFqkYyTf
— @Zuby_Tech (@Zuby_Tech) November 23, 2025
Call Of Duty isn’t a big franchise in Japan like it is in the West, but it’s always been relatively popular there, with these results seeming to be emblematic of a wider downturn with Black Ops 7. There are no numbers from the US yet, to add into the equation, but based on these results, they will likely follow a similar trajectory.
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It’s unclear how much Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders affected sales of Black Ops 7, or if it’s simply fatigue for Call Of Duty itself, but according to Ampere Analysis over 25% of Call Of Duty players in September picked up Battlefield 6 – so it seems to have partially eaten into the player base.
Despite this drop, Black Ops 7 still (unsurprisingly) managed to top the sales chart in Europe for the week ending November 16, beating Anno 117: Pax Romana, EA Sports FC 26, Battlefield 6, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
While the end of year sales will provide a better picture of Black Ops 7’s overall reception, it’ll be interesting to see if Battlefield 6’s massive success will have a big impact on Call Of Duty’s momentum in the years to come.
Battlefield 6 comes out on top (EA)
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