NBA 2K26 has taken the top spot in August 2025’s U.S. sales chart, leading a major month for sports games and helping push overall video game spending to $4.7 billion, up 11% year-over-year, according to Circana (via GamesIndustry).
NBA 2K26 Leads On Every Platform
The newest entry in 2K Sports’ basketball franchise didn’t just top the overall sales charts, but was also the best-selling game on both PlayStation and Xbox platforms for August. In just a few weeks, NBA 2K26 has already climbed to fifth place among 2025’s best-selling titles overall, an impressive feat given its late-year launch.
The game’s success reinforces the enduring popularity of the NBA 2K series, which continues to dominate the sports gaming landscape despite stiff competition from rival EA Sports offerings such as Madden and College Football, both of which also landed in the top five.
Overall, sports titles accounted for several of August’s biggest releases. Alongside 2K26‘s chart-topping debut, Madden 26 entered at No. 2, College Football 26 held 5th (a slide from last year), and WWE 2K25 remained in the top 20. Also making the top 10 were EA’s MVP and Kickoff bundles.
For NBA 2K26, the strong launch likely reflects both the start of a new NBA season hype cycle and the lack of a true competitor in the basketball genre, similar to how Madden has no equal when it comes to football titles. Three sports games making the top five also seems to vindicate the premise that sports game fans are one of the few subgroups of gamers still spending money on multiple titles a year.
Switch 2 Momentum Adds To The Boom
Hardware sales also surged in August, up 32% year-over-year to $312 million, led by the Nintendo Switch 2. Despite its hefty and controversial price, the system has sold 2.4 million units in its first three months, surpassing the PlayStation 4’s record-setting launch pace by 5%.
Combined with NBA 2K26‘s stellar sales performance, August marked one of the most profitable months for gaming in recent years.
