Microsoft says Black Ops 6 topped Xbox and PlayStation game sales in the holiday quarter

Black Ops 6 enjoyed a record breaking launch quarter as it topped software sales on both Xbox and PlayStation, according to Microsoft.

The latest entry in Activision’s shooter series was released on October 25, 2024, for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4 and PC. Notably, it was also the first Call of Duty to be available on Game Pass on day one.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella touched on the game’s early performance during the company’s second quarter earnings call on Wednesday.

“Black Ops 6 was the top-selling game on Xbox and PlayStation this quarter, and saw more players in its launch quarter than any other paid release in the franchise’s history,” he said.

Nadella also said that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has attracted over four million players since its release in December.

During Microsoft’s Q1 earnings call last October, Nadella said “the launch of Black Ops 6 was the biggest Call of Duty release ever, setting a record for day one players as well as Game Pass subscriber adds on launch day.

“And unit sales on PlayStation and Steam were also up over 60% year-over-year,” he added. “This speaks to our strategy of meeting gamers where they are by enabling them to play more games across the screens they spend their time on.”

$465 million was spent on Microsoft games over December, making the company the world’s biggest publisher across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, according to data from Ampere which was published earlier today.

Microsoft has been putting increased focus on its multi-format strategy, and 64% of consumer spending on its games in December was on PlayStation formats (driven by Call of Duty).