'Ghost of Yōtei' Breaks Sales Records Despite Retail Headwinds

Sucker Punch Entertainment's "Ghost of Yōtei" claimed the top position in U.K. video-game sales charts in its first week, even as physical copy sales declined roughly 40% compared with its predecessor's 2020 launch.

The PlayStation 5 exclusive, released Oct. 2 by Sony Interactive Entertainment, reportedly sold 1.3 million copies globally on its first day, edging past the 1.25 million day-one performance of "Ghost of Tsushima." In the U.K., the game outsold the second week of "EA Sports FC 26" and moved nearly triple the physical units of Nintendo's "Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2" rerelease for Switch, according to industry analyst Christopher Dring.

The drop in boxed sales reflects broader industry trends rather than weakening demand. Physical games now represent just 3% of PlayStation's total software revenue, according to Sony's fiscal 2024 report, as gamers increasingly shift to digital downloads.

Critical Reception and Digital Sales Performance

"Ghost of Yōtei" secured an 87 rating on review aggregator Metacritic, four points higher than its predecessor, and earned a 95% "strong recommendation" score from OpenCritic. Critics at VGC and Eurogamer praised the game's narrative depth and visual design, while TechRadar called it "a beautiful and bloody sequel" with refined combat mechanics.

The strong debut came despite online controversy surrounding a developer's social-media comments before launch. The game also topped digital storefronts for new PS5 titles in the U.S.

Whether "Ghost of Yōtei" can maintain its momentum will depend on player retention and sustained sales across regions in the coming weeks, industry observers say.