Marvel’s Wolverine Tops US Game Sales in September, Sets Sony Launch-Month Mark

Marvel’s Wolverine led US game sales in September, despite criticism of its writing, combat and guided features. That result puts a gap between the conversation around the game and its reported commercial performance: players can object to parts of a release and still buy it in large numbers. The PS5 exclusive from Insomniac also recorded the highest launch-month full-game dollar sales for a Sony title since Helldivers 2 debuted in February 2024, according to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella. That’s a notable comparison, though it measures sales revenue rather than player satisfaction or the number of copies sold.

Circana’s figures are projections, and Sony hasn’t disclosed sales totals. The distinction matters: a chart position and a dollar-sales comparison show relative performance within the data Circana tracks, but they don’t reveal the exact scale of the launch. Still, Wolverine ranked 11th among the best-selling games in the US for 2026 so far, suggesting its commercial reception may be stronger than the debate around the game implies. Some of its scent-trail guidance has since been made optional through a patch, a change that gives players more control over how much direction they receive. It doesn’t settle criticism of the writing or combat, but it does show that one disputed feature could be adjusted after release.

That tension is familiar in games with prominent franchises behind them. A recognisable character can bring an audience to a new release, while reviews and player discussion shape how people assess its quality once they’ve tried it. Sales charts capture the first part more directly than the second. The numbers here are underwhelming as a measure of whether criticism has changed anyone’s mind, because the available figures don’t say why people bought the game or what they thought afterward.

September’s chart also featured several new releases. EA Sports FC 27 placed second, followed by The Blood of Dawnwalker in fifth, WARDOGS in sixth and Onimusha: Way of the Sword in seventh. Halloween: The Game came in eighth, while Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve debuted in ninth. The spread of new titles makes the chart more than a single-franchise story: several releases found a place among the month’s top sellers, even as Wolverine took the lead.

NBA 2K27 takes the year-to-date lead

NBA 2K27 now ranks as the best-selling US game of 2026 to date, overtaking Resident Evil Requiem. The result follows a strong August debut: the basketball game reached third place for the year after five days, based on early-access sales alone. It also ranked second in September, behind Wolverine. Those placements show how quickly a release can move through the year-to-date standings when it begins near the top of the monthly chart.

The early-access detail gives useful context, but it also limits what can be inferred from the August ranking. That position came after five days and reflected early-access sales alone, so it shouldn’t be read as a complete picture of the game’s launch over a longer period. Its September ranking adds another month of evidence. Together, the two results help explain how NBA 2K27 moved ahead of Resident Evil Requiem in the annual list.

Annual rankings are cumulative. A strong start can matter well beyond the month in which it happens, particularly when later releases are still competing to catch up. But a year-to-date lead isn’t a forecast for the rest of the year: the standings can change as more sales data arrives. Here’s the thing: the chart records a contest between releases over time, not a final verdict on which game will remain on top.

What the rankings can—and can’t—tell us

Dollar-sales rankings are useful because they offer a consistent way to compare commercial performance across a month. They’re also an incomplete account of the market. The figures cited here don’t provide unit sales, explain how revenue is distributed across platforms or show whether buyers were pleased with their purchase. Circana’s projections provide a snapshot of relative performance, while Sony’s decision not to disclose totals leaves the precise scale of Wolverine’s launch unknown.

If you’re working in this space, the distinction between public reaction and sales performance is worth keeping in view. Criticism can be loud without preventing a strong launch, and a strong launch doesn’t make the criticism irrelevant. The optional scent-trail guidance offers a concrete example of a response to one complaint, but the source doesn’t establish whether that change affected sales or how players have received it. A chart can show what sold. It can’t tell us, by itself, what people want changed.

That said, Wolverine’s position is more significant than it looks at first glance. It led the month and reached 11th in the year-to-date US ranking, while also setting the strongest launch-month full-game dollar sales for a Sony title since Helldivers 2. Those are three related signs of commercial strength, even if none supplies the missing sales total. The result will give Sony and other publishers a reason to watch how the game performs beyond its launch month—and whether its early audience continues to support it.

For now, the September chart leaves two clear takeaways. Wolverine sold strongly despite the arguments over its design, while NBA 2K27 converted its August debut and September ranking into the year-to-date lead. The next standings will provide more evidence about whether either position holds. Until then, the useful distinction is between what the rankings establish—relative sales performance—and what they leave unanswered: player response, exact totals and the durability of each launch.