No one doubted it: the most anticipated Call of Duty in years dominated Xbox and PlayStation sales during the holiday season. Black Ops 6 launched in December and completely outshined the competition in the final months of 2024.

A Call of Duty release is always a blockbuster, no matter the year. Activision’s franchise is one of the best-selling in gaming history, and each annual installment attracts even more players, generating massive revenue. Now that Activision is fully under Microsoft’s control, with no intermediaries, Black Ops 6 has been an incredible success for the company. What’s remarkable is that nothing seems to slow down the franchise, as it was the best-selling title in the last quarter of the year.

According to Microsoft’s latest report, the sixth chronological installment in the Black Ops series, released on October 25, shattered records in both sales and active players. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, emphasized the game’s impressive performance in the company’s most recent earnings call, covering the final quarter of 2024.

“It was the best-selling game on Xbox and PlayStation this quarter and outperformed any other paid release in the franchise’s history,” Nadella stated, celebrating the game’s massive success. The title exceeded expectations, setting new benchmarks for player engagement, particularly in its launch period.

Black Ops 6 Sets New Records for Player Engagement

The game’s success goes beyond just physical sales. Nadella also highlighted that on its launch day, Black Ops 6 reached an all-time high in concurrent players and Game Pass subscriptions. This milestone reinforces Microsoft’s strategy of offering high-profile titles on its subscription service from day one, making them accessible to an even broader audience.

Microsoft Surpasses EA to Become the World’s Biggest Publisher

With $465 million spent on gaming in December, Microsoft has established itself as the world’s largest game publisher across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, according to data from Ampere. The company continues to strengthen its presence in the industry, with 64% of December’s gaming expenditures happening on PlayStation platforms—driven largely by Call of Duty. This milestone cements Microsoft’s dominance in both game development and publishing, solidifying its position as a gaming powerhouse.

Source: 3djuegos