Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
A Black Ops 6 squad with the game's logo in the foreground.
Image via Activision

October game sales numbers are in, but the true impact of CoD’s move to Game Pass is ‘still pretty open,’ expert says

The long-awaited arrival of Black Ops 6 to Game Pass has already made waves.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the best-selling game of October, despite releasing in the last week of the month and also being available on Game Pass, a new report revealed.

Recommended Videos

Game industry analyst Mat Piscatella posted the month’s top top best-sellers for last month, and BO6 took the title ahead of new releases like Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, Silent Hill 2, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Super Mario Party Jamboree.

Oct. 2024 best-selling games report
Image via Mat Piscatella/Bluesky

The full report paints an interesting picture for what BO6 moving to Game Pass as a result of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision last year means, but according to Piscatella, it’s still too early for the numbers to reveal too much.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to Game Pass did a few things in the US,” Piscatella said. “It resulted in a subscription spending boost, shifted share of full game sales to PlayStation, did not appear to result in massive cannibalization of sales, and did not appear to provide a significant boost to Xbox Series hardware.”

The Game Pass move had a huge impact on Microsoft’s main competitor, Piscatella said, because PlayStation platforms “accounted for 82 percent” of BO6 full game dollar sales in October.

“So, all the open questions regarding the impact of subscriptions are still pretty open [in my opinion], and whatever one believes currently, well, not sure this biggest of tests is changing anyone’s mind either way,” Piscatella said, before signing off with a little cliffhanger: “Yet.”

BO6’s sales numbers weren’t specifically given, but after releasing on Oct. 25 and only being available on the report for just one week, it’s already the third highest-selling game of 2024 altogether, and will likely take the top spot when the year’s finished.

Full game dollar sales for BO6 were up 23 percent from last year’s Modern Warfare 3 over its first two weeks, so it’s clear that the game has been a success for Xbox and Activision already, with plenty more sales still yet to come throughout the last few weeks of the year.


Dot Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Scott Duwe
Scott Duwe
Senior Staff Writer & Call of Duty lead. Professional writer for over 10 years. Lover of all things Marvel, Destiny 2, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and more. Previous bylines include PC Gamer, Red Bull Esports, Fanbyte, and Esports Nation. DogDad to corgis Yogi and Mickey, sports fan (NY Yankees, NY Jets, NY Rangers, NY Knicks), Paramore fanatic, cardio enthusiast.