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NBA 2K27 and Madden NFL 27 held the top two spots in Circana’s U.S. best-selling games chart for August 2026, according to reporting published October 8, 2026. The biggest move in the top ten was Elden Ring, which rose from No. 41 to No. 7, and Big Walk, published by Panic, debuted at No. 8. The chart is a ranking, not a sales count: the coverage does not give unit or dollar totals for individual games.
The top ten for August 2026
The list below follows the order reported by Nintendo Everything, with prior-month ranks and “new” markers taken from GamesBeat’s coverage of the same Circana release.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
ELDEN RING: Tarnished Edition - Nintendo Switch 2 | $79.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Elden Ring (PS5) (European Version) | $34.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Bandai Namco Entertainment Elden Ring (PS4) | $47.44 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition | Digital | Nintendo Switch 2 Digital Code | $79.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Rank | Game | Publisher | Prior month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NBA 2K27 | Take-Two Interactive | New |
| 2 | Madden NFL 27 | Electronic Arts | New |
| 3 | Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls | Sony | New |
| 4 | Kickoff Bundle (2026) | Electronic Arts | New |
| 5 | Star Wars: Zero Company | Electronic Arts | New |
| 6 | Halo: Campaign Evolved | Microsoft | No. 6 (as listed in coverage) |
| 7 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment | No. 41 |
| 8 | Big Walk | Panic | New |
| 9 | Mario Kart World | Nintendo | No. 19 |
| 10 | Splatoon Raiders | Nintendo | No. 7 |
The chart marks some entries with a caret to indicate digital point-of-sale actuals and others with an asterisk to indicate digital sales projections. The reporting describes both markers but does not state which titles carry each one in the text available, so the markers should be read as a property of the chart rather than of any individual title shown here.
Why Elden Ring jumped
Elden Ring climbed 34 places, from No. 41 in July to No. 7 in August. GamesBeat attributes the move to the August launch of Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Nintendo Switch 2, and Nintendo Everything likewise connects the Switch 2 launch to the title’s top-ten placement. Both are reporting the connection, not a separate analysis of the sales data, and the chart does not show how much of the increase came from the Switch 2 edition as opposed to other factors. The edition to look for is Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch 2.
#1 Best Overall
- ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition contains the Elden Ring Base Game + Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion + Additional Content (including Torrent Skins, New Armors, and More...)
- MASSIVE OPEN WORLD
- DEEP, CUSTOMIZABLE COMBAT
- NEW STARTING CLASSES
- NEW PLAYER-FRIENDLY ENHANCEMENTS
Other movers and new entries
- Big Walk (No. 8, new). Published by Panic, it is the only title outside the major publisher lineup to appear in the top ten.
- Mario Kart World (No. 9, from No. 19). Nintendo’s racer climbed ten places.
- Splatoon Raiders (No. 10, from No. 7). The other Nintendo title in the top ten slipped three places.
- Sports and Electronic Arts titles. Electronic Arts placed three titles in the top five across NBA 2K27’s neighbors on the list: Madden NFL 27, Kickoff Bundle (2026), and Star Wars: Zero Company, all listed as new.
Market totals for August 2026
Circana’s August figures, as relayed by GamesBeat, show a weaker month than a year earlier. Where the reporting gives a comparison, the table shows it; where it does not, the cell says so.
| Measure | August 2026 | August 2025 | Year-over-year change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total U.S. video game sales (projected to total market) | $4.259 billion | $4.666 billion | Down 9% |
| Video game content spending | $3.780 billion | Not stated | Down 10% |
| Video game hardware spending | $302 million | Not stated | Down 3% |
| Video game accessories spending | $176 million | Not stated | Up 3% |
| Year-to-date total video game sales through August | $36.282 billion | Not stated | Down 3% |
The accessories category was the only segment in the table that grew. Content spending, which covers games, accounts for most of the total, and its 10% decline is the largest drop in the table.
Rank #2
- Collaborating with George R.R. Martin to create the ELDEN RING mythos has been a genuinely delightful experience and a source of wonderful inspiration. The team is working hard to ensure that the world of ELDEN RING will be a fascinating place for players to explore, filled with peril and wonder from its furthest reaches to its lowest depths. This is a FromSoftware title through and through, rich in fantasy and RPG action. We sincerely hope you look forward to it.
- Building the world of ELDEN RING with Miyazaki-san and his team was a treat! The graphics, mythos, and action-RPG gameplay will deliver an unforgettable experience. I can’t wait for people to see what ELDEN RING has in store for them.” Said George R.R. Martin.
Hardware: higher prices, fewer units
Circana’s director of video games, Mat Piscatella, said: “The average price paid for a new unit of video game hardware in the US reached an August record $541.” According to the same reporting:
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- Total August hardware unit sales fell 15% year over year to 559,000, the lowest August total since 2013.
Both figures are Circana data as relayed by GamesBeat. Higher average prices alongside lower unit volume is the pattern the reporting describes, and it is the context for the hardware line in the table above.
Rank #3
- A New Fantasy World – Journey through the Lands Between, a new fantasy world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, creator of the influential Dark Souls video game series, and George R. R. Martin, author of The New York Times best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Unravel the mysteries of the Elden Ring’s power. Encounter adversaries with profound backgrounds, characters with their own unique motivations for helping or hindering your progress, and fearsome creatures
- World Exploration in the Lands Between – Elden Ring features vast fantastical landscapes and shadowy, complex dungeons that are connected seamlessly. Traverse the breathtaking world on foot or on horseback, alone or online with other players, and fully immerse yourself in the grassy plains, suffocating swamps, spiraling mountains, foreboding castles and other sites of grandeur on a scale never seen before in a FromSoftware title
- Genre-Defining Gameplay – Create your character in FromSoftware’s refined action-RPG and define your playstyle by experimenting with a wide variety of weapons, magical abilities, and skills found throughout the world. Charge into battle, pick off enemies one-by-one using stealth, or even call upon allies for aid. Many options are at your disposal as you decide how to approach exploration and combat
How to read this chart
- Rank is not units. A No. 1 placement does not indicate how many copies a title sold or the revenue it generated.
- Methodology is limited in the coverage. The reporting does not give the full methodology, title-level sales figures, or a complete list of retailers and formats included.
- Digital data is marked, not fully disclosed. Entries carry a caret or asterisk for digital point-of-sale actuals or projections, as described above.
- The underlying release was not reviewed directly. The figures here come from secondary reporting by Nintendo Everything and GamesBeat, both dated October 8, 2026, rather than from Circana’s own publication.
Use the ranking to see which titles drew the most sustained attention in August, and the market totals to see the direction of spending. Neither supports a claim about every U.S. purchase.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition
Sources
- Nintendo Everything, October 8, 2026: chart summary and publisher list.
- Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat, October 8, 2026: Circana’s August 2026 ranking, market figures, chart notes, and Mat Piscatella’s comments.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
