Black Ops 7 is best-selling game on PS5 but analysts say it’s underperforming

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 reached the top of the PS5 sales chart during its launch window, but multiple industry analysts and sales trackers say the wider performance is weaker than expected.

Data from European sales trackers shows Black Ops 7 selling substantially fewer units than its predecessor and some rival launches. GSD/The Game Business reported that launch sales across several European markets are down by more than half compared with Black Ops 6, and in some comparisons the decline versus recent launches such as Battlefield 6 is even larger.

UK retail figures shown by GfK highlight a particularly sharp drop: physical launch-week sales were reported to be markedly lower than last year’s Black Ops entry. Even accounting for the growth of digital distribution and Game Pass-style availability, the fall in retail numbers has drawn attention.

Analysts point to several reasons for the underperformance: market fatigue with yearly releases, stiffer competition from other big shooters, and mixed reception to certain design choices and live-service elements. Industry analysts quoted in recent coverage warned that community burnout and creative/business decisions may be weighing on the franchise’s numbers this year.

That said, being the top-seller on the PS5 store in a given week shows the series still retains a strong fanbase — the nuance is in how launch-week positioning translates to long-term sales and player engagement across platforms. Some outlets note that concurrent player counts (especially on PC) and long-term engagement metrics are lagging behind previous entries, even if the game briefly leads charts.

Activision and Microsoft have released limited official commentary so far, with no full sales breakdown published at the time of writing. Industry watchers say further clarity will appear as more retail and digital data is reported over the coming weeks.

What this means for the franchise

• Short-term chart positions are useful, but analysts want to see sustained player numbers and monetisation performance.
• If the downward trend in launch sales continues, developers and publishers may rethink release cadence, Game Pass strategy or live-service content timing.
• Community sentiment (reviews, social engagement, streaming viewership) will be closely watched as a signal for how quickly the series can recover.

Sources: Sales and analyst reporting from The Game Business / GSD, Windows Central, GameSpot, PushSquare and industry coverage.