Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Dominates 2026 Sales Charts 14 Years After Launch

Analysts report that the recent PS4 and PS5 ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 are already among the best-selling games of the year.

Last month, Activision surprised fans by releasing ports of Black Ops 1 and 2 on modern PlayStation consoles. The publisher has historically avoided re-releasing older Call of Duty titles, with fans speculating that it would distract from more profitable newer releases. However, after Black Ops 7 underperformed last year, these ports were rushed into production to regain player trust and generate quick revenue.

That strategy proved wildly successful. According to Alinea Analytics, Black Ops 2 sold an impressive 8.2 million copies on PS4 and PS5 in July, while Black Ops 1 sold 3 million. The firm estimates the two games collectively generated $435 million on PlayStation, making them the top two best-selling PlayStation titles of July. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced trailed in third with 1.6 million copies, roughly half of what the 16-year-old Black Ops 1 sold.

This is a staggering achievement, positioning Black Ops 2 as one of the best-selling games of 2026 overall. At the start of July, Alinea estimated the top three best-selling games of the year were Mecha Chameleon (12.6 million), EA's FC 26 (9.1 million), and Resident Evil Requiem (7.5 million). By the end of July, Capcom confirmed Requiem had surpassed 8 million units, validating those estimates. With these numbers, Black Ops 2 now sits comfortably in the top five best-selling games of the year so far.

Notably, these ports are almost identical to the originals, with no new features, content, or significant technical upgrades. It's unclear how much Activision paid developer Iron Galaxy for the ports, but the cost was likely far less than a full remaster or remake. Whether this paves the way for more Call of Duty ports remains to be seen, but fans are already clamoring for a return of the original Modern Warfare 2.

Activision's dominance shows no signs of slowing, as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is slated for release this October. Despite launching during a crowded season, it's expected to sell exceptionally well, given that the Modern Warfare sub-franchise is the most beloved in the series.