In the first half of 2023, Hogwarts Legacy captured the number one European game sales charts. A total of 76.1 million console and PC games were sold in Europe during the period, a slight increase compared to 2022.
Warner Bros.’s open world role-playing game Harry Potter became the best-selling game in both physical and digital formats in major markets such as France, Germany and Italy. Hogwarts Legacy sales were over 124% higher than FIFA 23, the third largest game in the UK.
Blizzard’s Diablo IV was by far the best-selling game of June and July and was the second best-selling game of the first half of the year, after Hogwarts Legacy.
Nintendo’s latest Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom, was the best-selling physical game in Europe despite its release in May. Sales were 13% higher compared to Pokemon Legends: Arceus in 2022. EA Sports’ FIFA 23 also saw a 24% increase in sales over its predecessor.
While other big new titles such as Resident Evil 4, Final Fantasy 16, and Dead Island 2 made it to the top 20 lists, brands that consistently managed to maintain their success, Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, continued their strong sales.
Top 10 best selling games in Europe in the first half of 2023
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Diablo IV
- FIFA 23
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- NBA 2K23
- Resident Evil 4
We can safely say that the success of Hogwarts Legacy is not surprising. The Harry Potter-themed game was a quick success, selling 12 million copies in just its first two weeks.
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