Sony recently unveiled the most popular PS5 downloads of 2024, highlighting several live service games that rose to the top. Despite some mixed reactions to this strategic move, the results suggest why Sony is leaning heavily into live service gaming. Mat Piscatella, a well-known analyst in the gaming scene, has also released a list of the year’s best-selling games across all platforms, adding weight to Sony’s approach.
In a post on Bluesky, Piscatella revealed the top 20 games in the U.S. ranked by revenue for 2024. This ranking includes both physical copies and full game digital sales from platforms such as the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation, Steam, and Xbox, covering the period from December 30, 2023, to January 4, 2025. Here’s the list:
1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
2. EA Sports College Football 25
3. Helldivers 2
4. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
5. NBA 2K25
6. Madden NFL 25
7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
8. EA Sports FC 25
9. Elden Ring
10. EA Sports MVP Bundle
11. Hogwarts Legacy
12. Dragon’s Dogma 2
13. WWE 2K24
14. MLB: The Show 24
15. Grand Theft Auto 5
16. Minecraft
17. Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth
18. Tekken 8
19. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
20. NBA 2K24
For those who regularly follow these rankings, many of the big names like Call of Duty, NBA 2K, Grand Theft Auto 5, and EA Sports titles are regular contenders in the top 20. However, spotting PlayStation’s Helldivers 2 in the mix is somewhat unexpected, considering Sony’s previous challenges with live service games. Interestingly, Helldivers 2 seems to have bucked the trend, capturing attention right out of the gate with Arrowhead Game Studios’ follow-up.
The list is notably rich with games that embrace live service models. Out of the top nine best-sellers, eight incorporate some form of live service. While some fans may have initially been skeptical of Sony’s decision to pivot towards this gaming model, the strong sales figures are making a compelling case for their strategy.
