Bethesda\u2019s newest giant role-playing game Starfield<\/em>, which hit Xbox\u2019s Game Pass service the day of its release, enjoyed a very loud launch last month. <\/em>In fact, its developer singled it out<\/a><\/span> as \u201cthe biggest Bethesda game launch of all time.\u201d Now new data from consumer analytics company Circana backs up that boast with some numbers.<\/p>\n

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This Stylish Noir-Punk Side-Scroller Is Like Celeste With Guns<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
If you look at Circana\u2019s sales data for September<\/a><\/span>, you\u2019ll see that Starfield <\/em>was the best-selling game in the U.S. that month. \u201cAdd-on spending,\u201d like the $35 Premium Edition upgrade many Game Pass members tacked onto their free base game to get into its Early Access, wasn\u2019t accounted for in the data, which makes Starfield<\/em> taking the number-one dollars earned spot here even more impressive.<\/p>\n
Really, Starfield achieved these record sales in spite of<\/em> Game Pass, which parent company Microsoft reportedly recognizes<\/span> causes a \u201cdecline in base game sales 12 months following their addition [to the service].\u201d Starfield<\/em>\u2019s next 11 months of sales, then, could be more contentious. There are already signs of its fresh paint chipping.<\/p>\n
On Steam\u2019s global Top Sellers chart<\/span>, the latest Bethesda RPG fell a steep 26 spots from last week\u2019s placement to a miserly ranking of 45, sitting between The Division 2 <\/em>(#44) and Lies of P<\/em> (#46), the latter of which also seems to be suffering from dwindling hype. Starfield<\/em> is performing a bit better on Steam\u2019s U.S.-only chart, lazing around the 27 slot, though it dropped 12 spots from its ranking there last week.<\/p>\n
Big releases, especially during this packed October<\/span>, keep threatening its standing. Mortal Kombat 1<\/em> and EA Sports FC 24<\/em> are right behind Starfield<\/em> in September U.S. sales, Circana\u2019s chart indicates. By some wizard magic, Hogwarts Legacy<\/em> was the U.S.\u2019s fifth bestselling game in September, though its concurrent player count seems to be shrinking<\/span> ahead of its Switch port\u2019s upcoming November 14 release<\/span>.<\/p>\n
Read More: <\/strong>Starfield<\/em>\u2019s Free On Game Pass But Still Topping Sales Charts<\/span><\/p>\n
The wizard game\u2019s surface-level magic<\/span> has carried it pretty far, though\u2014Circana\u2019s analysis<\/a><\/span> positions Hogwarts Legacy<\/em> as the bestselling game of 2023 so far. And, to Starfield<\/em>\u2019s credit, its first month was impressive enough to help it creep up to the year\u2019s number-seven spot, right under Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. <\/em>There are worse places to be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n