Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has climbed to #9 on the list of most popular PS5 games in the US, passing the current Call of Duty games. That is a strange turn for a franchise that once ruled the charts.
The List
PlayStation recently added a feature that shows which games are most played in each country. In the US, the top ten includes Fortnite, Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto 5, NBA 2K27, Marvel Rivals, Rainbow 6 Siege, MLB The Show 26, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Marvel’s Wolverine. Black Ops 2 sits at #9, while Black Ops 7 and Warzone are absent entirely.
The list is topped by games like Fortnite, Minecraft, GTA 5, sports titles, and the newly released Marvel’s Wolverine. Some free-to-play titles round out the mix. But Black Ops 2 stands out as the oddity.
Why Black Ops 2 Is Back
Earlier this summer, Activision released ports of the first two Black Ops games, which originally debuted over a decade ago on PS3. Fans were surprised to see them return. The two titles dominated sales charts over the summer, and now Black Ops 2 has eclipsed the modern Call of Duty games.
Players may have jumped off the newer titles and moved to the older ones while waiting for Modern Warfare 4. Or they may simply be tired of the newer Call of Duty offerings.
The Burn From Black Ops 7
Call of Duty burned a lot of fans with Black Ops 7, which was underwhelming in sales and player reception. There is hope that Modern Warfare 4 can turn things around, but GTA 6 is on the horizon, and the window to do so will be limited.
What Treyarch Is Saying
Treyarch, the studio behind the Black Ops series, revealed today that it is looking to do something “new” and “something that nobody’s ever experienced before.” That could mean letting go of the franchise’s baggage in favor of a new sub-franchise for Call of Duty.
It will likely be a few years before we see what Treyarch is planning. For now, the older games are the ones people are playing.
Key Facts
- Black Ops 2 is #9 on the PS5 popularity list in the US
- Black Ops 7 and Warzone are absent from the list
- Black Ops 2 ports were released this summer
- Black Ops 7 was underwhelming in sales and player reception
- Modern Warfare 4 is expected to arrive soon
The Takeaway
Black Ops 2 being more popular than Black Ops 7 and Warzone is amusing, and it tells you something about where fans are spending their time right now. The older games still carry weight, and the newer ones have lost it.
The question is whether Modern Warfare 4 can change that. Until then, the past is winning.
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