The NPD results are in for January 2023, and plenty of surprise entries are still clinging to their best-seller status even after being on the shelves for months. PlayStation exclusives cover most of the top 11 spots, but the Nintendo Switch still held firm with a couple of places.
Unsurprisingly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 reigns supreme at the top slot, though that’s not to discount the fact that the Dead Space remake managed to grab second place.
What’s most impressive is Elden Ring taking sixth, considering that game has almost been out a whole year. This could normally be attributed to the January dry spell, but that wasn’t quite so true for the beginning of 2023, as Fire Emblem Engage, Forspoken, and Dead Space all managed to rank within the Top 10, despite stiff competition.
While two of those are established names in the gaming world and make sense, Forspoken dropped as not only a PS5 exclusive but also a brand-new IP, so reaching seventh is unexpected.
However, those three are the only games from 2023 to hit the list, with the rest being big titles from 2022 that continue to sell well, such as God of War Ragnarok. The re-release of The Last of Us also came in at the still very impressive 11th spot, thanks mostly to the debut of its new HBO show.
As the show is only gaining in popularity, it is very likely that the game will creep up the rankings and will likely be seen above the 10th slot for February. Speaking of February, it remains to be seen how much the list will be shaken up by highly anticipated titles like Wild Hearts and Atomic Heart, as well as the massive success that has been Hogwarts Legacy.
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