Far Cry 6, Back 4 Blood led October’s best-selling games, per NPD
Far Cry 6 and Back 4 Blood topped the list of October’s best-selling games in the U.S., according to a report from industry tracking group NPD.
But Nintendo also had a strong showing, with the Switch capturing the top spot for hardware in both units sold and dollars spent.
What’s more, Metroid Dread debuted in the number-three spot. Given that NPD doesn’t track any digital sales of Switch games and that the two games that beat Dread are both multiplatform releases, that’s an impressive performance. In fact, it’s the best debut in the history of the series, bringing in nearly twice as much money as the previous leader, Metroid Prime for the GameCube.
Here’s the full top 20 list for software:
- Far Cry 6
- Back 4 Blood
- Metroid Dread
- Madden NFL 22
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles
- FIFA 22
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Mario Party Superstars
- NHL 22
- NBA 2K22
- Mario Kart 8
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Minecraft
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Diablo II: Resurrected
- Mortal Kombat 11
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Total industry spending was up year over year, with U.S. consumers spending 16 percent more than they did last October on hardware, software, and accessories combined. Hardware in particular saw an 82 percent jump over last year.
From January through October, U.S. sales for the gaming category have reached $46.7 billion—12 percent higher than the same period of 2020. Keep in mind, too, that 2020 was itself a record year thanks to pandemic-boosted interest in gaming.
For more on the NPD’s latest report, check out analyst Mat Piscatella’s Twitter thread. And be sure to check out our reviews of Far Cry 6 and Back 4 Blood.
