According to Circana analysts, Black Ops 6 emerged as the best-selling game in the United States last year, continuing the Call of Duty series' reign at the top of U.S. market leaders for an impressive 16 consecutive years. The most popular sports game in the U.S., EA Sports College Football 25, was released on consoles in July, capturing the attention of sports gaming enthusiasts.
Spending by U.S. gamers in 2024 saw a slight decline of 1.1% compared to the previous year, attributed by Circana to a dip in hardware demand. However, there was a silver lining as spending on add-on content and services rose by 2% and 6%, respectively, indicating a shift in consumer preferences towards in-game purchases and services.
Black Ops 6 and Warzone 2 are set to launch their second season on January 28, promising exciting new content with a ninja-themed update and a crossover with the "Terminator" universe, which is sure to thrill fans.
The game has been lauded for its varied missions that keep players engaged and surprised throughout the campaign. Both players and critics have given high praise to the shooting mechanics and the entirely revamped movement system, which allows characters to run in any direction and shoot while falling or lying on their backs. The campaign's duration of approximately eight hours was also well-received by some reviewers, who felt it struck the perfect balance in length.
Many gamers echoed the reviewers' sentiments, particularly appreciating the zombies mode and the campaign. However, Black Ops 6 was not without its detractors. Some found the game disappointing, with the majority of Steam reviews citing technical issues such as frequent crashes and unstable server connections, which hindered progress in the story mode.