Despite lukewarm reception, Star Wars Outlaws is the third best-selling game of August 2024 in the US, per Circana report

What you need to know

• Analytics group Circana provides insight every month into U.S. video game hardware and software sales.
• According to Circana, Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws debuted in third place for August 2024, while the top spot was claimed by Madden NFL 25. 
• PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month in dollar sales and units sold, with Xbox Series X|S following in both categories. 

We've got new insights on the latest adventure in a galaxy far, far away. 

Ubisoft adventure title Star Wars Outlaws was the third best-selling game of August 2024 in the U.S, per Circana executive director and advisor Mat Piscatella. In a thread on Bluesky, Piscatella revealed that the best-selling game of the month was Electronic Arts' Madden NFL 25, while second place went to EA Sports College Football 25, which was the top title of July 2024.

Star Wars Outlaws is currently sitting at a 75 on Metacritic, with a wide range of opinions praising elements of the story and setting but criticizing the gameplay and numerous technical issues.

PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month in units and dollar sales, followed by Xbox Series X|S in both measures. PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch hardware were all down year-over-year by 34%, 36%, and 41%, respectively. Altogether, August 2024 sales reached $4.1 billion, a drop of 7% year-over-year from August 2023.

Below, you'll find details on the best-selling games of the month in the U.S, as well as the best-selling games of the year in the U.S. so far. As always, please keep in mind that some publishers don't share digital data, such as Nintendo and Take-Two Interactive. 

August 2024 Circana: Here are the top 20 best-selling games in the U.S.

1. Madden NFL 25
2. EA Sports College Football 25
3. Star Wars Outlaws
4. EA Sports MVP Bundle
5. Elden Ring
6. Hogwarts Legacy
7. Minecraft**
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
9. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
10. Visions of Mana
11. Gundam Breaker 4
12. The Elder Scrolls Online
13. Helldivers 2
14. Mario Kart 8*
15. Ghost of Tsushima
16. Sea of Thieves
17. MLB The Show 24***
18. Forza Horizon 5
19. Gran Turismo 7
20. EA Sports FC 24

August 2024 Circana: Here are the best-selling games of the year so far

1. EA Sports College Football 25
2. Helldivers 2
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
4. EA Sports MVP Bundle
5. Elden Ring
6. Dragon's Dogma 2
7. MLB The Show 24***
8. WWE 2K24**
9. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
10. Hogwarts Legacy
11. Tekken 8
12. Madden NFL 25
13. NBA 2K24**
14. Madden NFL 24
15. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
16. Minecraft****
17. Grand Theft Auto V**
18. EA Sports FC 24
19. Persona 3 Reload
20. Marvel's Spider-Man 2

*Denotes no digital sales data
**Denotes no digital sales data on Xbox or Nintendo Switch
***Denotes no digital sales data for June through August
****Denotes no digital sales data on Nintendo

A fall filled with questions

Looking ahead, it'll be interesting to see where a number of titles land.

Ubisoft noted recently when delaying Assassin's Creed Shadows to February 2024 that Star Wars Outlaws had "softer than expected" sales, something initially backed up by the fact the game does not appear in the top 20 titles sold for the year so far. The delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows also removed one potential blockbuster for the calendar year. 

Even so, there's other big games waiting in the wings like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. I'll also be curious to track Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2's sales starting with the September Circana data. 

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