Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War topped NPD’s U.S. best-selling games chart for 2020, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare second and Animal Crossing: New Horizons third. The January 15, 2021 ranking is ordered by tracked dollar sales—not copies sold—and combines physical sales with selected digital sales.
The 20 best-selling games in the U.S. in 2020
GamesBeat reproduced NPD’s calendar-year chart, ranked by dollar sales. It covers physical sales and tracked full-game digital sales from Nintendo eShop, PlayStation, Steam, and Xbox for publishers participating in NPD’s Digital Leader Panel. An asterisk means digital sales were not included for that title.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Trapped in a Video Game: The Complete Series | $26.01 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design | $15.37 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Ready Player One: A Novel | $9.17 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs to Know about Narrative Techniques | $10.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Dungeon Crawler Carl | $17.35 | Buy on Amazon |
| Rank | Game | Publisher | Digital sales included? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | Activision Blizzard | Yes, as tracked |
| 2 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | Activision Blizzard | Yes, as tracked |
| 3 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Nintendo | No |
| 4 | Madden NFL 21 | Electronic Arts | Yes, as tracked |
| 5 | Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla | Ubisoft | Yes, as tracked |
| 6 | The Last of Us: Part II | Sony | Yes, as tracked |
| 7 | Ghost of Tsushima | Sony | Yes, as tracked |
| 8 | Mario Kart 8: Deluxe | Nintendo | No |
| 9 | Super Mario 3D All-Stars | Nintendo | No |
| 10 | Final Fantasy VII: Remake | Square Enix | Yes, as tracked |
| 11 | Marvel’s Avengers | Square Enix | Yes, as tracked |
| 12 | Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Sony | Yes, as tracked |
| 13 | NBA 2K21 | Take-Two Interactive | No |
| 14 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo | No |
| 15 | FIFA 21 | Electronic Arts | Yes, as tracked |
| 16 | Mortal Kombat 11 | Warner Bros. Interactive | Yes, as tracked |
| 17 | Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot | Bandai Namco Entertainment | Yes, as tracked |
| 18 | MLB: The Show 20 | Sony | Yes, as tracked |
| 19 | Cyberpunk 2077 | Warner Bros. Interactive | No |
| 20 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 | Activision Blizzard | Yes, as tracked |
Source: GamesBeat’s reproduction of NPD’s 2020 ranking. GameSpot independently reproduced the same order in its January 15, 2021 report.
How to interpret the ranking
It ranks sales dollars, not copies
A higher position means a title had more tracked dollar sales under the chart’s methodology. NPD’s reproduced ranking supplies neither unit totals nor individual title revenue, so it cannot establish which game sold the most copies or how large the dollar gap was between neighboring places.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
Digital coverage is incomplete
The chart includes physical sales and tracked full-game digital purchases from the listed platforms for Digital Leader Panel publishers. It is not a complete accounting of every digital storefront or publisher. The asterisked titles have no digital sales included in this chart; Cyberpunk 2077, for example, ranked 19th despite its digital sales not being shared with NPD.
It is a U.S. calendar-year snapshot
The ranking covers sales in the United States during 2020 and was reported on January 15, 2021. It is not a global list, a current sales chart, or a ranking of games by critical reception.
Rank #2
Notable results in the top 20
Call of Duty occupied the top two places
Black Ops Cold War was No. 1 and Modern Warfare No. 2. NPD analyst Mat Piscatella also said Call of Duty had been the best-selling gaming franchise in the U.S. for a record 12th consecutive year.
Animal Crossing placed third despite the chart’s digital omission
Animal Crossing: New Horizons ranked No. 3 with an asterisk, meaning its digital sales were not counted in this chart. Piscatella reported that it achieved the highest physical dollar sales for a Nintendo-published game in a calendar year since Wii Fit Plus in 2010.
Rank #3
The Last of Us: Part II led PlayStation exclusives
The Last of Us: Part II ranked sixth overall and was reported as 2020’s best-selling PlayStation exclusive. Piscatella also placed it third among Sony-published games in U.S. history by dollar sales at that time, behind Marvel’s Spider-Man and 2018’s God of War.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The broader U.S. video game market in 2020
The NPD figures reproduced by GamesBeat show that total U.S. video game sales reached $56.905 billion in 2020, up 27% from 2019. The categories below are reported as dollar sales; the content total includes mobile spending data supplied by Sensor Tower.
| Category | 2020 U.S. sales | Change from 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Total video game sales | $56.905 billion | Up 27% |
| Hardware | $5.307 billion | Up 35% |
| Video game content | $48.981 billion | Up 26% |
| Accessories | $2.617 billion | Up 21% |
Figures: The NPD Group data as reproduced by GamesBeat in 2021.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →
