Elden Ring launch bigger than any game not named FIFA or Call of Duty

FromSoftware’s blockbuster Elden Ring is killing it at the gaming box office in the UK and is already one of the most successful launches in recent years, according to new sales data.

The open-world action RPG enjoyed the best launch for a non-FIFA or Call of Duty game since October 2018, according to data provided to GamesIndustry.Biz by GSD.

That also makes it the biggest launch since last year’s Call of Duty: Vanguard, bigger than Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and bigger than Cyberpunk 2077. The data also points to it being 2.5-times more popular than the PS5-exclusive Horizon Forbidden West in terms of week one sales, although the multi-format release certainly works in its favour.

The data encapsulates digital and physical sales for Elden Ring, with GSD saying 68% of Elden Ring sales were digital overall, while a whopping 85% of Elden Ring sales on Xbox were digital. PlayStation gamers seemed to be more inclined to buy the physical disc with sales split 50/50.

Overall, PlayStation versions of the game had the edge, according to the data. 41% of all sales came on PS5/PS4, 29% on Xbox and 30% on PC. Naturally, the game is riding high at the top of the tree on both the UK digital and physical release charts for the last week

The game, which comes from the same developer as the Dark Souls and Bloodborne series’, has enjoyed a phenomenal reception among critics, which is sure to have boosted those box office sales. The almost-universally-acclaimed game earned a 4.5/5-star review from Trusted Reviews Editor Alastair Stevenson, who praised the gigantic open world, rewarding combat, and abundance of content to delve into.

He wrote: “Elden Ring is a fantastic RPG for any hardcore gamer looking for a new world to explore. Combat is weighty and takes place in a wonderfully intriguing world full of dungeons to explore and monsters to battle. The only downside is that its high difficulty will be a stumbling block that will continue to put some players off, despite the improved accessibility that comes with the open-world format.”