Typically the biggest boxed game launch of the year, FIFA 21’s opening week sales are down more than 42% over last year’s game.
This is purely in terms of physical sales. FIFA’s digital performance has rapidly grown alongside the success of the game’s live service Ultimate Team mode. We won’t know the game’s digital performance until later in the week.
Another reason for the drop in performance will be the upcoming launch of PS5 and Xbox Series S and X, with consumers likely holding off for the next-generation version of the game.
However, even with such a fierce drop, FIFA 21 was still the biggest game launch of 2021 (so far), beating previous record holders The Last of Us: Part 2 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. FIFA 21 sold best on PS4, which accounted for 62% of the sales, followed by Xbox One (36%) and then Nintendo Switch (2%).