We knew that the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 would be big, but this is gigantic. The opening weekend of Modern Warfare 2 was the best ever for the shooter series, with a whopping $800 million sell-through in just three days. The Modern Warfare series has always been popular, and it appears to only be reaching new heights.
Activision shared the news with an official press release, comparing the financial success of Modern Warfare 2‘s debut weekend to the opening box office of both Top Gun: Maverick and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which even when combined still made less than the game. We anticipated high numbers for the launch, especially after the announcement by PlayStation that Modern Warfare 2 had the biggest PlayStation launch ever for the series.
The three-day launch of Modern Warfare 2 was bigger than the previous record holder Modern Warfare 3 (2011), which took five days to grab the biggest launch record. The launch of the new Modern Warfare 2 also set new franchise records for number of unique players and hours played in the first three days of release. Johanna Faries, the General Manager of Call of Duty, shared the following message to thank the fans for the historic launch.
“Thank you, Call of Duty players, for making Modern Warfare II’s launch one for the record books as well as the highest grossing entertainment opening of the year. It is our honor and privilege to deliver such a historic launch weekend for the best fans in the world. As amazing as this opening has been, Call of Duty has much more in store. An unprecedented level of support for the Modern Warfare universe is on the horizon and Warzone 2.0’s launch is right around the corner. It’s an incredible time for the franchise.” – Johanna Faries, General Manager for Call Of Duty
Are you playing Modern Warfare 2? If you’re unsure, check out our review here – but beware of spoilers! Let us know in the comments below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more gaming news.