Despite weaker sales, Call of Duty: Vanguard remains the second most significant release of the year.

Call of Duty: Vanguard arrived on November 5 with the promise of returning to the original recipe that made the game great, starting with its historical context, World War II. In the latest instalment of the veteran war franchise, it seemed to have everything it needed to win over Call of Duty’s old guard: a campaign showcasing different fronts, new multiplayer modes, zombie-slaying and impeccable technical execution.

However, Activision’s bestseller is not doing as well in the UK as expected, with sales down significantly compared to Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War.

GSD data collected by Gamesindustry shows a decline in both physical and digital sales compared to last year’s game. Although Call of Duty: Vanguard became the best-selling game in its launch week, there was a 26% drop in physical sales and a 44% drop in digital sales in the UK.

Despite the disappointing sales performance of Activision’s classic, Vanguard remains the second biggest selling title of the year, only beaten by another annual bestseller, FIFA 22. Despite the drop in sales, it would be premature to conclude that enthusiasm for the series may be waning. Vanguard’s sales may have been affected by several factors, such as the fact that it focuses on World War II rather than modern warfare, or even intense competition in the form of Battlefield 2042 and Halo Infinite; and free-to-play alternatives such as Call of Duty: Warzone.

Source: Gamesindustry