While this may not come as a surprise, "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," which received a very warm reception from gamers, became the second best-selling game of the year.
The fantastic story, incredible graphics, new skills, and a wider Hyrule to explore brought massive success to the game. It is keeping the iconic game series alive.
Despite the massive regard for the new Zelda game, it did not completely take over the charts, as a higher-regarded title still sits comfortably on the top this year.
'Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom'
'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' Is the 2nd Best Selling Game of 2023
The data revealed by the NPD Group executive director Mat Piscatella, as shared on Twitter on Tuesday, shows an overview of the growth in the video game industry, including the round-up of the best-selling games in 2023.
The report reflected the growth of "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," which is now in the second spot of the top-grossing games of the year.
The Tears of the Kingdom continued to beat expectations of it as it also became the top-selling video game in May 2023. It beats those released earlier this year, with the new Zelda game only released in mid-May.
Piscatella noted that the data only included the physical and full game digital sales from the Nintendo e-Shop, Playstation, STEAM, and Xbox platforms.
YTD 2023 Top 20 Best-Selling Premium Games (Dollar Sales, Excludes add-on content) pic.twitter.com/IMPq3kBike
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) June 27, 2023
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Who Is at the Top of the Best-Selling Game Charts?
Despite the commendable performance of "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" in the charts, it still failed to clinch the overall top sales of the year.
Its rival is Avalanche Software and Warner Bros. Games' "Hogwarts Legacy," which was released in February. The game has been met with mixed reviews, but it still has broken several records since its release.
Currently, "Hogwarts Legacy" is 2023's first best-selling game of the year. Being the biggest launch in WB Games' history, it has already sold more than 15 million copies and made over $1 billion.
It is still unknown who will be in the first spot at the end of this year for video game sales. It could be "Hogwarts Legacy," "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," or another surprising title that will be released soon.
2023's Massive Year for Games
Most of this year's releases centered on AAA-rated games and famed franchises delivering what gamers ask for. "Hogwarts Legacy," which is one of the best modern takes showcasing an original story and interactive RPG based on the famous Wizarding World of Harry Potter, is one of the most popular.
However, Blizzard Entertainment's highly-awaited massive RPG, "Diablo IV," was released earlier this month, and it was well-received by gamers. There is also Square Enix's latest entry to the Final Fantasy franchise, "Final Fantasy XVI," which was released last week exclusively for PS5.
Zelda's Tears of the Kingdom was a significant success for the franchise and Nintendo, climbing to a stellar spot in the best-selling game chart and still seeing considerable traction in its sales.
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