Resident evil dominates february, but sales data reveals a deeper shift
February 2026’s U.S. gaming landscape proved surprisingly muted despite a surge of new releases, with Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem seizing the top spot. While the title’s debut marks the fastest-selling game in the franchise’s history – hitting 6 million units globally – the overall market growth remains stubbornly anemic, raising questions about the sustainability of recent trends.
Hardware holds the line: switch 2's continued ascent
According to Circana’s latest report, analyzed by Mat Piscatella, total gaming spending in February only managed a meager 1% year-over-year increase. Content spending remained flat, and accessories actually dipped 2%. The sole bright spot? Hardware, buoyed almost entirely by the Nintendo Switch 2. Spending on the new console jumped 22% to $326 million, effectively offsetting declines across other platforms. The PlayStation 5, as expected, maintains leadership in both dollar volume and unit sales, but the Switch 2’s performance is nothing short of impressive; it’s currently trending 45% ahead of the original Switch’s figures at the same point in its lifecycle – a considerable feat, particularly when juxtaposed against the strong Black Friday showing both consoles now share in their histories.
The contrast with February 2025 is stark. Last year’s releases – Monster Hunter Wilds, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Civ VII, PGA Tour 2K25, and Avowed – created a far more vibrant launch window. This year’s lineup, while featuring solid titles like Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined and God of War: Sons of Sparta, simply couldn't match that momentum.
A curious anomaly emerged within content spending: while most categories saw declines, non-mobile subscription spending experienced a robust 27% increase. This defies easy explanation, especially considering the high-profile game launches. Resident Evil Requiem’s success, alongside titles like Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined and Mario Tennis Fever, would typically translate to increased digital sales—yet, they didn’t. The continued popularity of the Resident Evil franchise on the Nintendo Switch is notable. The Resident Evil Generation Pack, bundling Resident Evil 7, Village, and Requiem, outperformed Requiem itself on the platform, demonstrating a clear appetite for the franchise amongst Switch owners.
Even older titles are seeing unexpected resurgences. Diablo II: Remastered leaped from a distant No. 195 to No. 13 thanks to the Steam release of the Infernal Edition, and Doom: The Dark Ages benefited from anniversary sale pricing, climbing from No. 92 to No. 9.
February 2026 U.S. Top 20 Best-Selling Games:
- Resident Evil Requiem (NEW)
- NBA 2K26
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Minecraft
- Helldivers 2
- EA Sports FC 26
- Battlefield 6
- Madden NFL 26
- Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined (NEW)
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Mario Tennis Fever (NEW)
- Red Dead Redemption II
- Diablo II: Resurrected
- God of War: Sons of Sparta (NEW)
- Ghost of Yotei
- Forza Horizon 5
- My Hero Academia: All's Justice (NEW)
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Pokemon Legends: Z-A
- Resident Evil Generation Pack (NEW)
Indicates that some or all digital sales are not included in Circana’s data. Some publishers, including Nintendo, do not share certain digital data for this report.
The tepid overall sales figures, despite a strong showing from the Switch 2 and individual title successes, suggest a potential shift in consumer spending habits. Are players prioritizing subscriptions over individual purchases? Is the market simply maturing, with fewer blockbuster releases driving massive spikes? The data points to a future where sustained hardware sales and a diversified content ecosystem – not just launch-window spikes – will be the key to success.