Hogwarts Legacy has dominated the European game sales charts in the first half of 2023, comfortably outselling last year's top title Elden Ring by 69%. In total, 76.1 million console and PC games were sold across Europe during the period, a slight increase over 2022.
Warner Bros.' Harry Potter open-world role-playing game was the top-selling game both physically and digitally in major markets including France, Germany and Italy. In the UK, sales of Hogwarts Legacy were over 124% higher than FIFA 23, which is the third biggest title.
Blizzard's Diablo IV was by far the best-selling game of June and July and is the second best-selling game of the year behind Hogwarts Legacy.
Nintendo's latest Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom, was the best-selling physical title across Europe even though it launched in May. Sales were 13% higher compared to Pokemon Legends: Arceus in 2022. EA Sports' FIFA 23 also saw a 24% jump in sales over its previous version.
Other major new releases such as Resident Evil 4, Final Fantasy 16, and Dead Island 2 also made it into the top 20 chart, while evergreen franchises Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 continued their strong sales.
Here are the top 10 best-selling games in Europe in the first half of 2023:
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Diablo IV
- FIFA 23
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- NBA 2K23
- Resident Evil 4
The success of Hogwarts Legacy comes as no surprise. As we previously reported, the Harry Potter-themed game sold 12 million copies in its first two weeks.
The strong performance of legacy gaming brands indicates their enduring popularity among European gamers even as new intellectual properties enter the fray. Hogwarts Legacy's standout sales point to the commercial potential of the Harry Potter franchise in the video game medium.
Source: GameIndustry
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