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The Game Business
The title recorded the biggest first-week launch in the series' European chart history since records began in 2017.
Football Manager 2026 achieved the strongest launch in the series' European chart history for the week ending November 9, 2025. Despite receiving a "Mostly Negative" rating on Steam following a year-long hiatus intended for a technical engine overhaul, the title demonstrated significant commercial success across both console and PC platforms. This performance excludes engagement metrics from Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers.
The analysis covers physical and digital sales data across a broad range of European markets, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and several Nordic and Eastern European nations. The data is derived from GSD (Game Sales Data), which aggregates physical sales from all retailers and digital sales from a comprehensive list of major industry publishers.
Other notable market movements include the debut of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment for the Nintendo Switch 2, which underperformed significantly compared to its predecessor, with estimated launch sales approximately 75% lower. Additionally, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 experienced a notable resurgence, climbing 49 places in the rankings following a 40% price reduction and the release of new downloadable content. The top of the charts remained competitive, with established titles such as Battlefield 6, EA Sports FC 26, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A maintaining strong positions. The findings underscore a divergence between critical reception and commercial performance for high-profile releases in the current European gaming landscape.
The Game Business · 2026