None of October's New Games Outsold Middle Earth: Shadow of War
October was supposed to be the biggest month for games.
The NPD Group has released the sales figures for video games sold in the month of October. As you might recall, October was pretty much this year's de facto "biggest month" for video games as it saw the release of Super Mario Odyssey, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Assassin's Creed Origins. Yet none of those games were the best-selling titles of October. Instead it was Middle Earth: Shadow of War.
To be fair, Assassin's Creed Origins, Super Mario Odyssey, and Wolfenstein 2 all came out towards the end of the month, on October 27. That gave each title five days to become the best-selling game of October. Still that doesn't diminish that Shadow of War was an outstanding success for WB Games, even after the loot box controversy that dogged Shadow of War's release. It begs to wonder whether the current controversy over Star Wars Battlefront 2 will impact sales of the game.
As for hardware, October was another growth year with spending on consoles driven by the Nintendo Switch and the SNES Classic. While the Switch was the best selling console of October, the PlayStation 4 is still the best selling console of the year so far.
Here is the full breakdown of sales for October according to the NPD Group
October 2017 Top 20 Games
- Middle Earth: Shadow of War
- Assassin's Creed: Origins
- Super Mario Odyssey**
- South Park: The Fractured But Whole
- NBA 2K18
- FIFA 18
- WWE 2K18
- Madden NFL 18
- Destiny 2^
- Forza Motorposrt 7
- Gran Turismo Sport
- Grand Theft Auto V
- The Evil Within 2**
- Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus**
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild**
- Mario Kart 8**
- Fire Emblem: Warriors**
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands
- NHL 18
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
Xbox One Top 10 Games
- Middle Earth: Shadow of War
- Assassin's Creed: Origins
- Forza Motorsport 7
- South Park: The Fractured But Whole
- NBA 2K18
- FIFA 18
- Destiny 2
- WWE 2K18
- Madden NFL 18
- Grand Theft Auto V
PlayStation 4 Top 10 Games
- Middle Earth: Shadow of War
- Assassin's Creed: Origins
- South Park: The Fractured But Whole
- NBA 2K18
- FIFA 18
- Gran Turismo Sport
- WWE 2K18
- Madden NFL 18
- Destiny 2
- The Evil Within 2**
Nintendo Switch** Top 10 Games
- Super Mario Odyssey
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Mario Kart 8
- Fire Emblem: Warriors
- Pokken Tournament DX
- Splatoon 2
- Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
- FIFA 18
- NBA 2K18
- Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2
Nintendo 3DS** Top 10 Games
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
- Metroid: Samus Returns
- Miitopia
- Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth
- Pokemon: Sun
- Fire Emblem: Warriors
- Super Smash Bros.
- Mario Kart 7
- Super Mario Maker
- Layton's Mystery Journey Katrielle and the Millionaire's Conspiracy
Top 10 Best Selling Games of the Year So Far
- Destiny 2^
- NBA 2K18
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands
- Madden NFL 18
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild**
- Grand Theft Auto V
- For Honor
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Injustice 2
- Mario Kart 8
**No Digital Sales Included
^Battle.net sales not included
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated Shadow of War released in September. That was for a mobile tie-in. The article has been updated with this correction.
Read this next
Assassin's Creed: The Rebel Collection Shows the Series Can Shine on Switch
This great collection highlights a potential direction for the Assassin's Creed franchise.
3
A Time Traveling Titan is the Star of Destiny 2's Season of Dawn
Moon's haunted, Mercury's unstuck in time…
Google Defends 4K, 60 FPS Claims For Stadia While Placing Responsibility on Developers
"We expect that many developers can, and in most cases will, continue to improve their games on Stadia."
3
Destiny 2's Solar Subclasses Are Getting Some Major Reworks
The changes will be introduced next season.
No, Stadia Users Won't Lose Access to Games Purchased With a Stadia Pro Discount
Destiny 2 and other free Pro games are tied to your subscription—purchases are not.
2
Destiny 2's Vex Offensive is Wrapping Up, But the Finale's Underwhelming
The Undying Mind's return left a little to be desired.
Google Adds Ten More Games to Tomorrow's Stadia Launch Lineup at the Last Minute
The more the merrier?
More News
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Wins Game of the Year: The Full List of Winners From Tonight's The Game Awards
Death Stranding gets Best Game Direction as a consolation prize, and Disco Elysium takes home four awards.
The Fast and Furious Family Goes Digital For Crossroads
Life in the fast lane.
Surprise: The Wolf Among Us 2 Is Back in Production
This werewolf's undead, sort of.
1
Elder Scrolls Online Heads to Skyrim For Its Next Expansion
The home of the Nord is the next focus for Elder Scrolls Online.
More on PlayStation 4
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Wins Game of the Year: The Full List of Winners From Tonight's The Game Awards
Death Stranding gets Best Game Direction as a consolation prize, and Disco Elysium takes home four awards.
The Fast and Furious Family Goes Digital For Crossroads
Life in the fast lane.
Surprise: The Wolf Among Us 2 Is Back in Production
This werewolf's undead, sort of.
1
Elder Scrolls Online Heads to Skyrim For Its Next Expansion
The home of the Nord is the next focus for Elder Scrolls Online.
Ghost of Tsushima's Game Awards Trailer Gives us Samurai Drama and a Release Window
The game's looking as sharp as Jin's blade.
Ikumi Nakamura Stole the Show Once Again, This Time at the Game Awards
Still no word on where she's headed next.
Watch the New Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trailer From The Game Awards Right Here
Cloud may be grumpy, but he still manages to style his hair every morning.
Newsletter
Subscribe to our weekly newsletters
Get the best of USG in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters.