Early buzz made it look like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was gearing up to be a major hit with fans and, based on weekend sales figures, that's exactly what it is. According to an announcement from Activision, the annual shoot-a-thon broke day-one digital sales records for the publisher, with early player counts topping last year's high water mark.
Activision sent out a press release Monday announcing that Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was already a runaway success. The game launched Friday, Oct. 12, and has already broken a handful of records. We imagine additional records will be shattered once further sales figures roll in but, for now, this is unarguably a solid start for the FPS giant.
According to the announcement, the latest Call of Duty set a new launch day record for Activision, though specific numbers aren't yet being kicked around. It is officially the "biggest day one digital release" for the publisher, which toppled the franchise record set last year by Call of Duty WWII. Given the less stellar reception of Infinite Warfare, that seems to signify that series fans prefer their shooters to be more grounded in reality, either marching through the trenches of decades-old wars or fighting in settings that are either modern or near future.
The game also set a new PlayStation Store record, grabbing the crown for "day one digital full game sales." Over on the Xbox One, Modern Warfare 4 was named the best-selling game for Activision on day one, globally, with PC sales doubling year to year as the game launched for the first time on Blizzard's Battle.net.
As an added bonus, the total number of players connected across all platforms also saw an increase in comparison to last year's game. According to Call of Duty EVP and GM, Rob Kostich, the developer thanks its community for this level of support.
But probably the most important thing is that the community is having so much fun across Multiplayer, Zombies and Blackout. We are so incredibly thankful for the community's trust and support. This is just the beginning, it's going to be an incredible journey with Black Ops 4.
One of Black Ops 4's biggest selling points is the diversity of its modes. While some players are bummed that a single player campaign was not included in this year's iteration, Activision still managed to deliver a fully fleshed-out experience that caters to several types of players. Multiplayer is as fast and furious as it has ever been, with Zombies serving up three times as much content as the mode typically offers at launch, offering a nice boost for those who like to play cooperatively.
That's not to mention the latest addition to the franchise that is absolutely stealing the show for many players: Blackout. Call of Duty's take on battle royale gameplay is a bona fide hit, nailing all of the genre staples while adding in a few fun tweaks and the kind of polish fans have come to expect of the long-running series.
