Madden NFL 25 was the top-selling game in August, but video game hardware sales took a hit, according to Circana. This marks the second month in a row that Electronic Arts’ football title has dominated the charts, following EA Sports College Football 25 in July. However, August saw a decline in hardware sales.
| August 2024 Dollar Sales, Millions | Aug 2023 |
Aug 2024 |
Change |
| Total Video Game Sales | $4,435 | $4,120 | -7% |
| Video Game Content | $3,933 | $3,739 | -5% |
| Video Game Hardware | $324 | $208 | -36% |
| Video Game Accessories | $178 | $173 | -3% |
August witnessed a significant drop of 36% in hardware sales compared to the previous year, with all current generation console platforms experiencing declines. According to Mat Piscatella, Circana’s executive producer for games, the Switch showed the sharpest fall at 41% year-on-year.
Accessory spending also saw a decline, with a 10% drop in Gamepad purchases offsetting growth in the Remote Play Device segment. Overall spending has increased by 1% year-over-year, but hardware sales continue to decline by 28%. The release of PlayStation 5 Pro may impact the console cycle.
Circana August 2024: Top 20 best-selling games in the U.S.
| Rank | Last Month Rank |
Title | Publisher |
| 1 | NEW | Madden NFL 25 | Electronic Arts |
| 2 | 1 | EA Sports College Football 25 | Electronic Arts |
| 3 | NEW | Star Wars: Outlaws | Ubisoft |
| 4 | 2 | EA Sports MVP Bundle | Electronic Arts |
| 5 | 3 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 6 | 7 | Hogwarts Legacy | Warner Bros. Games |
| 7 | 5 | Minecraft^^ | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
| 8 | 4 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) | Microsoft (Corp) |
| 9 | 10 | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Sony (Corp) |
| 10 | NEW | Visions of Mana | Square Enix Inc (Corp) |
| 11 | NEW | Gundam Breaker 4 | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 12 | 34 | The Elder Scrolls: Online | Microsoft (Corp) |
| 13 | 13 | Helldivers II | Sony (Corp) |
| 14 | 12 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo |
| 15 | 20 | Ghost of Tsushima | Sony (Corp) |
| 16 | 16 | Sea of Thieves | Microsoft (Corp) |
| 17 | 8 | MLB: The Show 24^ | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
| 18 | 29 | Forza Horizon 5 | Microsoft (Corp) |
| 19 | 27 | Gran Turismo 7 | Sony (Corp) |
| 20 | 9 | EA Sports FC 24 | Electronic Arts |
*Digital sales not included for marked titles
^Digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox platforms not included
^^Digital sales on Nintendo platforms not included
Madden’s consistent top position comes as no surprise, maintaining its streak for the 25th year. The EA Sports MVP Bundle, containing both College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25, was the second best-selling title in July. Madden also led in platform-specific sales for PlayStation and Xbox, grabbing the 9th spot on PlayStation’s most-played games in August.
EA’s goal to reach over 1 billion audiences by 2029 was highlighted by CEO Andrew Wilson during an Investor Day event. Madden and other sports franchises provide diverse experiences to a growing fanbase. The resurgence of Elder Scrolls Online and Forza Horizon 5’s update contributed to their improved rankings.
Where are the rest of August’s releases?
Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws surprisingly secured third place despite falling below expectations, leading to a revision of the company’s financial targets. Visions of Mana and Gundam Breaker 4 also made it to the list, with the absence of Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong due to lack of digital sales data.
Circana August 2024: 20 best-selling games of 2024 so far
| Rank | Last Month Rank |
Title | Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | EA Sports College Football 25 | Electronic Arts |
| 2 | 2 | Helldivers II | Sony (Corp) |
| 3 | 3 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) | Microsoft (Corp) |
| 4 | 5 | EA Sports MVP Bundle | Electronic Arts |
| 5 | 6 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 6 | 4 | Dragon’s Dogma II | Capcom USA |
| 7 | 7 | MLB: The Show 24^ | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
| 8 | 8 | WWE 2K24** | Take-Two Interactive (Corp) |
| 9 | 9 | Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth | Square Enix Inc (Corp) |
| 10 | 11 | Hogwarts Legacy | Warner Bros. Games |
| 11 | 10 | Tekken 8 | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 12 | NEW | Madden NFL 25 | Electronic Arts |
| 13 | 12 | NBA 2K24** | Take-Two Interactive (Corp) |
| 14 | 13 | Madden NFL 24 | Electronic Arts |
| 15 | 14 | Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League | Warner Bros. Games |
| 16 | 18 | Minecraft^^ | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
| 17 | 15 | Grand Theft Auto V** | Take-Two Interactive (Corp) |
| 18 | 16 | EA Sports FC 24 | Electronic Arts |
| 19 | 17 | P3: Persona 3: Reload | Sega |
| 20 | 20 | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Sony (Corp) |
*Digital sales not included for marked titles
**Jun-Aug Digital sales not included
^^Digital sales on Nintendo platforms not included
The new Madden game remains a strong August launch, securing its position in the year’s bestsellers list. With consistent performance, Madden NFL 25 is only two spots above its predecessor, Madden NFL 24. The list continues to reflect July’s rankings.
FAQs
Q: Why did Madden NFL 25 top the charts in August?
A: Madden’s popularity and brand recognition contribute to its success as a bestseller.
Q: How did hardware sales perform in August?
A: Hardware sales saw a significant decline, with a 36% drop year-over-year.
Q: Which games saw a resurgence in August?
A: Elder Scrolls Online and Forza Horizon 5 made comebacks in the bestseller list due to updates and events.
Credit: venturebeat.com
