Battlefield 6 Now 'Extremely Likely' to Beat Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as the Best-selling Game of 2025 in the U.S.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was the top-selling U.S. game by dollar sales in November but sits seventh year-to-date, trailing Battlefield 6 (No.1), NBA 2K26, Monster Hunter Wilds, Borderlands 4, EA Sports College Football 26 and Madden NFL 26, according to Circana. Circana reports a double-digit dollar sales decline for the franchise versus November 2024 and says Black Ops 7’s November full-game dollar sales trailed Black Ops 6, a shortfall compounded by its Xbox Game Pass launch which reduced visible Xbox dollar revenue and complicates subscription impact analysis; Circana’s Mat Piscatella judges Battlefield 6 “extremely likely” to finish 2025 as the U.S. best-seller. Against a backdrop of the weakest U.S. November for game sales since 1995 and recent technical problems in Battlefield’s updates, Activision is reportedly reconsidering its franchise planning and release cadence, making franchise monetization and subscription dynamics key near-term investor risks.

Analysis

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was the top-selling U.S. game by dollar sales in November but sits seventh year-to-date, behind Battlefield 6, NBA 2K26, Monster Hunter Wilds, Borderlands 4, EA Sports College Football 26 and Madden NFL 26, according to Circana. That November placement continues Call of Duty's launch-month strength but leaves a significant cumulative sales gap versus competitors with earlier releases.

Circana reports a double-digit dollar sales decline for the Call of Duty franchise versus November 2024 and explicitly states Black Ops 7's November full-game dollar sales finished below Black Ops 6; the game's Xbox Game Pass launch materially reduces visible Xbox dollar revenue and makes subscription-driven monetization opaque. Activision is reportedly considering major changes to how it plans and releases Call of Duty, signaling potential strategic and revenue-model shifts.

Circana senior director Mat Piscatella projects Battlefield 6 is "extremely likely" to finish 2025 as the U.S. best-seller, although Battlefield recently shipped an update that introduced significant technical problems. Broader context shows U.S. game sales had their weakest November since 1995, which heightens near-term revenue risk across publishers and hardware and aligns with the article's negative sentiment for ATVI and relatively positive signal for EA.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Trim or hedge near-term exposure to ATVI until Game Pass monetization impact and Activision's planned franchise cadence changes are clarified given the double-digit sales decline and lower full-game sales versus Black Ops 6
• Consider selective exposure to EA or Battlefield-linked opportunities given Circana's view that Battlefield 6 is likely to finish 2025 as the top seller, but size positions modestly and watch for technical/patch risk following recent disruptive updates
• Use upcoming monthly Circana reports, any disclosed Game Pass subscription data, and Activision guidance on release strategy as primary catalysts for re-rating; maintain conservative position sizing given the weakest U.S. November for game sales since 1995