Bethesda’s DOOM: The Dark Ages claims the top spot in UK physical sales charts, beating out new entries like The Precinct and long-standing favorites like GTA 5 and The Witcher 3.
Bethesda’s latest entry in the legendary DOOM franchise, DOOM: The Dark Ages, has stormed to the top of the UK physical retail charts for the week ending May 17. According to data from GfK, the first-person shooter has not only secured the No. 1 spot in the all formats chart but also topped the PS5 and Xbox Series-specific charts. Its strong performance is particularly notable considering its availability on Xbox Game Pass, which typically reduces physical sales.
DOOM: The Dark Ages marks a bold new direction for the franchise, blending its iconic fast-paced gunplay with medieval aesthetics and brutal new weapons. While long-term sales success remains to be seen, the strong retail debut is a promising start for Bethesda and Microsoft, especially in a market where digital dominance is becoming increasingly common.
Close behind DOOM is another new release, The Precinct, an old-school GTA-inspired action-adventure title developed by Fallen Tree Games and published by Kwalee. Despite receiving a lukewarm critical reception (currently sitting at 65% on Metacritic), The Precinct managed to secure the No. 2 spot in its debut week, buoyed by solid pre-orders and nostalgic interest in its retro-cop simulator style.
Rounding out the top five are EA Sports FC 25 at No. 3, Minecraft at No. 4, and the ever-resilient Grand Theft Auto 5 at No. 5. Rockstar’s juggernaut continues to maintain a presence in the charts nearly a decade after its initial launch, showing no signs of slowing down.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows, another recent release, slipped slightly to No. 6 from last week’s No. 4. Meanwhile, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition enjoyed a resurgence, climbing to No. 7 from its previous position at No. 15. This is particularly impressive given that the game was originally released ten years ago, reaffirming the franchise’s enduring popularity.
Last week’s chart-topper, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, dropped to No. 8, followed by Astro Bot at No. 9, which continues to benefit from being bundled with PS5 hardware. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a Nintendo Switch staple, rounds out the top ten.
On platform-specific charts, Minecraft remains dominant on the Nintendo Switch, while Batman: Arkham Collection surged on PS4. Over on Xbox One, Mafia Trilogy saw renewed interest. Meanwhile, PC players pushed The Witcher 3: GOTY Edition to the top of that platform’s retail rankings.
Interestingly, even the Nintendo 3DS chart saw some activity this week, led by The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, followed by Luigi’s Mansion, Kirby: Planet Robobot, and A Link Between Worlds: a nostalgic throwback lineup dominated by first-party Nintendo titles.
With DOOM: The Dark Ages leading the pack, the UK retail scene is clearly still alive with excitement for both fresh releases and enduring classics.
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