Ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 have achieved remarkable success in the United States, with the Black Ops 2 port topping July 2026's sales charts by dollar sales. The Black Ops 1 port secured the fifth position in the same rankings. These re-released titles, which launched on July 9 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, were offered at a promotional price of $40, further reduced to $20 for PlayStation Plus subscribers until August 6.
The intentional decision to retain the original experience for both games, often referred to as "warts and all," resonated strongly with fans. This approach has apparently translated into significant revenue for Activision and Microsoft, with combined sales reportedly exceeding 11 million copies and generating over $430 million. Previously, playing these titles on modern PlayStation consoles was not possible, as they were not available through backward compatibility on PS4 or PS5, and required an original PS3.
Industry analyst Rhys Elliott attributed the strong sales performance to pent-up demand. He also noted the minimal marketing and ongoing development costs associated with the ports, presenting a highly profitable scenario for Microsoft and Activision. Sony also benefits considerably, receiving an estimated 30% cut of the revenue, amounting to approximately $130 million for hosting the games.
Circana's report also highlighted EA Sports College Football 27 as the second best-selling game in July by dollar sales. However, had the EA Sports MVP Bundle, which includes both College Football 27 and Madden 27, been considered as a single entity, it would have claimed the top spot. The figures released by Circana encompass both physical and estimated digital sales.
The top 10 best-selling games in the US for July 2026, according to Circana, were: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, EA Sports College Football 27, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, EA Sports MVP Bundle, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Halo: Campaign Evolved, Splatoon Raiders, Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, and 007 First Light.