Activision’s recent digital-only releases of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 have seen significant engagement on PlayStation 5, despite widespread criticism regarding their value proposition. Data from Circana analyst Mat Piscatella confirms that both titles successfully entered the US-based Engagement Tracker for the week ending July 11, 2026.
Player Engagement and Sales Performance
The performance of these titles is notable given that they are the only new entries to break into a list otherwise dominated by long-standing, evergreen titles like Fortnite, Roblox, GTA 5, and Minecraft. Black Ops 2 debuted in sixth position, while the original Call of Duty: Black Ops followed in ninth.
Player numbers for these releases are high: reports citing Sony’s beta player tracker widget indicate that Black Ops 2 reached 5.25 million US players, while the original Black Ops saw 1.9 million players during the same period. While there is some industry skepticism regarding the accuracy of the new tracking widget, these figures align with the games' status as top performers on the PlayStation Store.
Value and Technical Concerns
Despite the high player count, the ports have faced scrutiny from critics and players alike. Each title is priced at $40, yet they launch as bare-bones ports without technical enhancements. Furthermore, reports suggest these versions remain susceptible to the same exploits that plagued the original PlayStation 3 releases. The ports are also digital-exclusive, with additional DLC sold separately.
While reviews have highlighted these issues, labeling the releases as "overpriced" or "rip-offs," the current engagement data suggests that the player base remains heavily invested in these classic titles. It is expected that these ports will remain among the best-selling PlayStation 5 games for the year.