Sony’s recently released list of the top PS5 downloads for 2024 highlights a number of live service games, stirring up quite a conversation about the path PlayStation has chosen. While some find this move questionable, it’s beginning to make sense why the company has embraced the live service model. Adding to this discussion, industry analyst Mat Piscatella unveiled the best-selling games across all platforms for 2024, further supporting Sony’s strategic approach.
In a detailed post on Bluesky, Piscatella laid out the top 20 games in the U.S. for 2024, sorted by dollar sales. His report covers physical and digital sales from places like Nintendo eShop, PlayStation, Steam, and Xbox, spanning from late December 2023 to early January 2025. Here’s the list:
1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
2. EA Sports College Football 25
3. Helldivers 2
4. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
5. NBA 2K25
6. Madden NFL 25
7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
8. EA Sports FC 25
9. Elden Ring
10. EA Sports MVP Bundle
11. Hogwarts Legacy
12. Dragon’s Dogma 2
13. WWE 2K24
14. MLB: The Show 24
15. Grand Theft Auto 5
16. Minecraft
17. Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth
18. Tekken 8
19. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
20. NBA 2K24
For those who regularly track sales data, many figures here are quite familiar. Franchises like Call of Duty, NBA 2K, Grand Theft Auto 5, and EA Sports FC (or FIFA, as it’s widely known) routinely rank among the best-selling games each year. Yet, the appearance of Helldivers 2, a PlayStation live service title, catches the attention. Sony might not have had huge success with some of their live service projects, but Arrowhead’s sequel stands out with a strong showing.
What’s clear from this chart is the dominance of live service elements in top-selling games. Out of the top nine, eight incorporate some form of live service feature. Although not every fan is thrilled about Sony’s focus on games as a service, the sales figures suggest why the company is keen on this direction.
