Marvel’s Wolverine leads U.S. September video game sales

Marvel’s Wolverine was the best-selling video game in the United States for September 2026, Circana said, displacing NBA 2K27 from the top spot ahead of EA Sports FC 27. The chart covered August 30 to October 3, 2026 and counted physical and full-game digital dollar sales, leaving out mobile and digital add-on content.

A Sony-published game had not seen stronger launch-month revenue than Marvel’s Wolverine since Helldivers 2 arrived in February 2024, according to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella. Marvel’s Wolverine is a PlayStation 5 exclusive from Insomniac Games with no PC release planned.

Estimates from Ampere Analysis cited by outlets ranged from around 2.35 million copies to 2.16 million copies for September 2026. NBA 2K27 placed second on the September 2026 United States best-selling games chart, ahead of EA Sports FC 27 in third. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave placed fourth, The Blood of Dawnwalker fifth, and Madden NFL 27 tenth.

Eight of the 10 best-selling United States games in September 2026 were new releases rather than carryover titles.

Circana data showed PlayStation 5 leading console unit sales and hardware revenue in the United States during September 2026. PlayStation 5 hardware revenue increased 43 percent year over year in September 2026, and console unit sales rose 22 percent.

During September 2026, Nintendo Switch 2 console unit sales fell 14 percent. Xbox Series X|S console unit sales in the United States dropped 27 percent in September 2026, a record low for September in the Xbox ecosystem.

Video game hardware spending in the United States rose 12 percent to $362 million during September 2026. Dollar sales for Nintendo Switch 2 fell 12 percent, while Xbox Series X|S dollar sales slipped 2 percent, despite the overall increase.

Content spending on video games in the United States fell 2 percent to $4.2 billion during September 2026. Console game content spending increased 8 percent, and PC game content spending rose 27 percent, in the United States during September 2026.

Combined projected spending on United States games, hardware, and accessories fell 1 percent to about $4.8 billion in September 2026. Year-to-date spending stood at $41.0 billion, 3 percent behind 2025’s pace. Mat Piscatella said, “Year-to-date spending is now 3 percent behind 2025’s pace, at $41.0 billion.”

Marvel’s Wolverine entered the United States year-to-date best-selling games chart at number 11. NBA 2K27 moved past Resident Evil Requiem to lead United States sales for 2026 year-to-date.

Physical copies made up 35 percent of Marvel’s Wolverine overall launch sales. At launch, Marvel’s Wolverine averaged 4.83 out of 5 on PlayStation Store, and more than 92 percent of raters awarded five stars.

Online players mocked the Wolverine scent trails as fart gas, so Insomniac reduced their opacity in a post-launch update.

Critics called Marvel’s Wolverine lukewarm, pointing to repetition, shallow gameplay, and weak storytelling, though some praised its visuals and spectacle. Marvel’s Wolverine received a middling Metacritic score, and no PC release was planned as of September 2026.

Sony’s European PlayStation Store data for September 2026 put Marvel’s Wolverine in second place behind EA Sports FC 27. Rockstar scheduled Grand Theft Auto 6 for a November 19 launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PC release date announced.