NBA 2K26 has emerged as the best-selling sports game of 2025 in the United States, according to Circana’s year-end sales rankings, finishing second overall across all genres. Only Battlefield 6 manages to top it, which has a much bigger player community. Looking back at how it topped August charts, this was definitely coming.
The result continues a long-running trend for the series. NBA 2K has routinely been in annual sports charts, but landing at No. 2 overall and above titles like Borderlands 4, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 highlights just how wide its appeal has grown.
That level of performance also speaks to the franchise’s ability to attract both casual players and dedicated fans year after year, even as competition in the sports gaming space intensifies.
Operation Sports App
Your ultimate companion for sports gaming. Access in-depth coverage, thoughtful discussion, and a community built around the games—and sports—you love.
Your ultimate sports gaming companion.
Sports Games Hold Strong Presence Across The Top 20
While NBA 2K26 led the category, Circana’s full Top 20 best-selling games of 2025 show sports titles maintaining a strong foothold in a crowded market:
- No. 2 – NBA 2K26
- No. 6 – Madden NFL 26
- No. 7 – EA Sports College Football 26
- No. 8 – EA Sports FC 26
- No. 12 – MLB: The Show 25
- No. 18 – WWE 2K25
That puts six sports games in the year’s Top 20, and that too in a lineup dominated by shooters and RPGs. Looking at the list, EA has a great year, placing four games on the list, but none managed to top NBA 2K26. It also reinforces how sports titles continue to thrive annually, rather than relying on one-off launch spikes.
The broader chart was led by Battlefield 6, with other major performers including Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Borderlands 4. Long-running titles like Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto V also continued to chart thanks to sustained sales and evergreen popularity.
NBA 2K26’s performance shows how big the franchise has become in the US. Despite this year’s release facing criticism on microtransactions and the shooting system, it still manages to sell. That resilience suggests brand loyalty, competitive online modes, and cultural relevance remain powerful drivers, even when gameplay changes spark debate among the community.
