Activision surprised gamers in July 2026 by re-releasing Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on modern PlayStation hardware. The publisher launched it alongside the original Black Ops. Notably, this release is a straightforward port. It does not feature a major remaster. Prior to this summer launch, the game remained locked to the PS3 era. However, players showed up in massive numbers. In fact, Black Ops 2 became the absolute best-selling game in the US during July based on dollar sales.
Black Ops 2 Defeating Modern Hits on the Sales Charts
Three months later, the 13-year-old shooter still shows incredible staying power. According to Circana’s data through October 3, Black Ops 2 currently ranks as the sixth best-selling game of 2026 in the United States. Furthermore, this ranking relies on tracked physical sales and projected digital dollar sales. Consequently, a 2012 release is successfully outselling many of this year’s biggest titles.
YTD 2026 U.S. Projected Top 10 Best-Selling Games Ranked on Physical & Full Game Digital Dollar Sales (Excludes Mobile and Digital Add-On Content)
— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 22 October 2026 at 18:01
It is easy to understand why players are flocking back to this classic. Many fans consider this era the franchise’s golden age. Specifically, Treyarch originally delivered an ambitious campaign featuring branching choices and multiple endings. Moreover, the multiplayer mode introduced the highly flexible Pick 10 loadout system. Additionally, the game features legendary Zombies maps like Mob of the Dead, Buried, and Origins. Despite this overwhelming success, some fans voiced valid complaints. A few players heavily criticized the price tag and the outdated DLC structure. Regardless, Activision delivered exactly what millions of fans remembered.
Franchise Struggles & Fierce Competition
This classic revival highlights recent struggles for the broader franchise. Lately, new Call of Duty entries have lost their automatic market dominance. For example, Black Ops 7 represented a critical and commercial low point. As a result, these minimally altered ports became the biggest commercial success story for the franchise in 2026. Looking ahead, the sales charts will soon change. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 just launched recently on October 23. Therefore, it will reshape the upcoming year-end rankings. Furthermore, GTA 6 will introduce unusually fierce competition during the fast-approaching holiday season. Ultimately, Black Ops 2 might fall out of the top 10 soon, but lasting this long remains a historic achievement.
