MLB: The Show 25 Dominates Sales Charts in Franchise History
MLB: The Show 25 has achieved a significant milestone, marking the best first-half sales performance in the franchise’s history. The popular baseball simulation game, developed by Sony, has surpassed previous records, indicating strong consumer engagement and commercial success.
Key Takeaways
- MLB: The Show 25 achieved its highest first-half dollar sales in franchise history.
- The game was the seventh best-selling title in the U.S. for June.
- Sales are up over 20% year-to-date.
Strong Performance in a Competitive Market
Despite the highly anticipated launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 console in June, which significantly boosted overall industry spending, MLB: The Show 25 maintained a strong presence. According to Mat Piscatella, Executive Director/Video Games at Circana, the game was a top seller on Nintendo platforms, alongside EA Sports FC 25 and Nintendo Switch Sports. This success highlights the enduring appeal of the MLB: The Show franchise, even in the face of new hardware releases and a crowded sports gaming landscape.
The previous record for the franchise’s best first half was set in 2021, a period influenced by increased at-home activity due to the pandemic. The current success of MLB: The Show 25 demonstrates sustained growth and popularity for the series.
Other Sports Gaming News
The gaming industry saw several other notable releases and performance trends in June. Forza Horizon 5 continued to perform well, securing the sixth spot on the best-selling charts, partly due to its recent PlayStation 5 launch. EA Sports FC 25 ranked twelfth, while NBA 2K25 dropped to fourteenth. WWE 2K25 debuted at twentieth on the overall best-selling chart.
Looking ahead, NASCAR 25 is set to launch on October 14 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with a PC release to follow. This release strategy places the game during the NASCAR National Series playoffs, aiming to capitalize on fan excitement. The developers are emphasizing the game’s realism and accuracy, hoping to attract both dedicated NASCAR fans and general racing game enthusiasts, while also aiming to overcome the negative reputation left by its predecessor, NASCAR 21: Ignition.
In other news, Konami has extended its multiyear deal with FIFPRO, ensuring the continued use of player likenesses in its eFootball series. This partnership, which dates back to 2001, is crucial for the free-to-play soccer game, which has garnered over 900 million downloads since its 2021 rebrand.
Sources
- SBJ Gaming: MLB: The Show 25 enjoys franchise-best first half, Sports Business Journal.
