EA’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the sleeper hit of the year in America, where it has outsold the likes of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
According to NPD analyst Mat Piscatella, EA’s first single-player Star Wars experience is ranked second in total dollar sales in the US as of October. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare holds the top spot. The title started strong upon its release last November, scoring EA’s biggest two-week launch sales for a Star Wars title.
Jedi: Fallen Order has held Animal Crossing: New Horizons off at third place, and surpassed high-profile 2020 releases like Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ghosts of Tsushima, and The Last Of Us Part II. Pokemon Sword, also released in November 2019, was ranked eighth.
Being multiplatform undoubtedly assisted the Star Wars adventure’s sales compared to PlayStation and Nintendo exclusives, but the news may come as a surprise after the monumental success of Nintendo’s life-sim during the pandemic. EA earned ire for their handling of the license with the first two Star Wars Battlefront games, and similarly the release of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker in December left fans divided. Nonetheless the first truly single-player experience to come out of Lucasfilm’s agreement with EA has stealthily held to the top of the US sales charts.
Though NPD’s rankings don’t include digital sales figures for Nintendo’s exclusives, and Jedi: Fallen Order does not rank on the global charts, the title’s success should encourage discussion for a sequel, after the game’s open ending.
Developed by Respawn Entertainment, Jedi: Fallen Order puts players in the poncho of Cal Kestis, a padawan who escaped the slaughter of the Jedi during the Clone Wars. The Empire’s Jedi hunters, the Inquistors, track him down in exile and force him to finally embrace his Jedi training to survive their pursuit and keep important information out of their hands. Cal’s journey takes him to a smattering of familiar and original planets, and includes a few surprising cameos from the larger Star Wars universe.
