Sony’s official year-end PlayStation Store download rankings for 2025 delivered an uncommon result for one of gaming’s most consistent juggernauts: Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 finished outside the top five most-downloaded PS5 games in both major regions tracked by Sony. In the annual chart, Black Ops 7 ranked No. 7 in the US/Canada and No. 7 in Europe.
The placement comes from Sony Interactive Entertainment’s “Top downloads of 2025” roundup, which compiles PlayStation Store downloads across the calendar year. On PS5 in the US/Canada, NBA 2K26 led the list at No. 1, followed by Battlefield 6, Grand Theft Auto V, EA SPORTS College Football 26, and EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26. In Europe, EA SPORTS FC 26 took the top spot ahead of Grand Theft Auto V, EA SPORTS FC 25, Forza Horizon 5, and Battlefield 6. Against that lineup, Black Ops 7’s seventh-place finish marks a noticeable change in a space where the franchise has typically been a fixture.
Historical comparisons help explain why the ranking is being framed as a milestone. In Sony’s prior year-end PlayStation Store download roundups, Call of Duty titles consistently appeared in the top five from 2015 through 2024, often sitting at or near No. 1. A slip to No. 7 does not mean PlayStation players stopped buying Call of Duty. It does, however, signal that 2025’s download momentum was strong enough elsewhere to push the series out of its usual top-five position.
Monthly charts suggest the story is more nuanced than the year-end headline. In Sony’s PlayStation Store downloads list for November 2025, Black Ops 7 ranked No. 1 on PS5 in both the US/Canada and Europe, reflecting the franchise’s typical surge around the holiday release window. In December 2025, it remained in the top five, finishing No. 3 in the US/Canada and No. 4 in Europe. The annual chart reflects the cumulative effect of the entire year’s demand, where a strong launch can be matched or overtaken by games with broader, longer-lasting pull.
The names at the top of the 2025 list underline the competitive forces at work. Sports franchises continue to be reliable download drivers, particularly in North America and Europe, where yearly releases can hold attention for extended stretches. Grand Theft Auto V’s high placement in both regions underscores the staying power of evergreen catalog titles that keep attracting new buyers and returning players long after their original debut. Battlefield 6’s strong showing, meanwhile, highlights how rival shooters can capture significant share when they pair strong launch interest with sustained momentum.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | Gameplay Reveal Trailer
Free-to-play habits may be another key factor. Sony’s 2025 rankings show Fortnite and Roblox leading the free-to-play charts in both regions, with Call of Duty: Warzone also placing high. That split matters: even when a premium Call of Duty release remains popular, a large share of day-to-day engagement can concentrate in the free-to-play ecosystem, while the paid entry competes for wallet share with sports giants, evergreen hits, and a growing roster of live-service experiences.
Industry sales tracking points to similar pressure beyond PlayStation’s own charts. U.S. market reporting based on Circana data indicated that Black Ops 7 still led monthly sales in its launch period, but with a double-digit decline compared with the prior year’s Call of Duty release. Sales rankings and PlayStation download rankings measure different things, but both can point to the same underlying reality: the shooter market is more crowded, and consumer attention is increasingly divided across more major releases.
It is also important to understand what Sony’s lists are and are not. PlayStation’s rankings are based on downloads rather than revenue, and product naming can vary by region. Sony also notes that upgrades are not included in the year-end totals. The charts are best read as a measure of what players actively chose to install from the store over the course of the year, rather than a definitive tally of every acquisition channel or every form of engagement.
For Activision and Microsoft, a No. 7 finish on PlayStation is not automatically a verdict on the franchise’s long-term health. Call of Duty remains a major multi-platform brand, and performance can vary widely by region, release timing, and the balance between free-to-play and premium play. But for a series that has historically held a near-guaranteed seat in PlayStation’s annual top five, Sony’s 2025 chart marks a clear shift in the optics: Black Ops 7 was still a top draw on the platform, yet 2025’s biggest download winners were strong enough to push it down to seventh in the year-end standings.
News story written by Mike.
