More than a decade after their original releases, two of Call of Duty’s most beloved games are once again dominating PlayStation.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II and the original Call of Duty: Black Ops reportedly claimed the top two positions on the PlayStation Store charts in July across both the United States and Europe, delivering an impressive debut for the newly released PS4 and PS5 ports.
The result demonstrates the enormous staying power of Treyarch’s classic Black Ops games at a time when the Call of Duty franchise has already moved through several newer generations.
Black Ops originally launched in 2010, while Black Ops II followed in 2012. Despite their age, both games returned to modern PlayStation consoles in July 2026 and immediately attracted considerable attention from longtime fans.
Black Ops Classics Take the Top Two Spots
According to July’s PlayStation Store rankings, Black Ops II and Black Ops occupied the first and second positions in both the US and European markets.
That means two games originally released during the PlayStation 3 era managed to outperform significantly newer releases on Sony’s current digital storefront.
Their success is particularly notable because these releases are ports rather than full remakes or extensive remasters.
The new versions brought the original Black Ops and Black Ops II to PS4 and PS5, finally allowing PlayStation owners to access both games natively on Sony’s modern consoles.
For longtime Call of Duty fans, that removed a major gap in the PlayStation library.
Black Ops and Black Ops II Returned to PlayStation in July
Activision released both games for PS4 and PS5 on July 9.
Before their arrival, the original Black Ops and Black Ops II had remained unavailable natively on newer PlayStation consoles because PS4 and PS5 do not offer traditional backward compatibility with PS3 software.
Xbox players, by comparison, have been able to access older Call of Duty titles through Microsoft’s backward compatibility program.
The new PlayStation releases changed that situation and made it possible to play the first two Black Ops games on current PlayStation hardware.
The timing appears to have generated substantial demand.
Rather than simply attracting a small audience of nostalgic players, the two games reportedly climbed immediately to the top of the PlayStation Store rankings.
Nostalgia Remains Powerful for Call of Duty
The performance also demonstrates how much interest still surrounds the earlier Black Ops era.
The original Black Ops introduced players to characters including Alex Mason, Frank Woods and Jason Hudson while building one of Call of Duty’s most recognizable storylines.
Black Ops II expanded that story across multiple time periods and introduced features that were unusually ambitious for Call of Duty at the time, including branching narrative decisions and multiple endings.
Both games also became major entries in Treyarch’s Zombies saga.
Years later, those campaigns, multiplayer experiences and Zombies modes continue to hold a significant place within the Call of Duty community.
Their July performance suggests that nostalgia for that period can still translate directly into commercial demand.
The Success Comes Despite Problems With the New Ports
The strong sales performance does not mean the releases have been free from controversy.
Players have reported serious problems affecting the multiplayer portions of the new PlayStation versions, particularly Black Ops II.
Reports have described hackers and exploits affecting online matches, including incidents involving player statistics and account progression. Activision has already taken action around some affected playlists while investigating reported problems.
The ports have also faced criticism over pricing and the decision to sell some additional content separately.
Despite those complaints, players continued purchasing the games in large enough numbers to push both releases to the top of the PlayStation Store.
That contrast makes their performance even more notable.
Classic Call of Duty Games Still Have Enormous Commercial Potential
The success of Black Ops and Black Ops II could also demonstrate the commercial potential of bringing more classic Call of Duty games to modern platforms.
Call of Duty has accumulated more than two decades of releases, but accessibility varies considerably depending on the platform.
On PlayStation specifically, several games from the PS3 generation remain difficult to access on modern hardware without dedicated ports or remasters.
If the July results are any indication, there is still significant demand for some of those older titles.
Games such as the original Modern Warfare trilogy and Call of Duty: World at War remain among the most frequently remembered releases from the franchise’s earlier generations.
Whether Activision intends to bring additional classics natively to PS5 remains to be seen.
For now, Black Ops II and Black Ops have demonstrated that old Call of Duty games can still compete with modern releases.
More than 13 years after Black Ops II first arrived and more than 15 years after the original Black Ops, both games are once again sitting at the top of PlayStation’s digital charts.
FAQ
What were the top PlayStation Store games in July?
Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Call of Duty: Black Ops reportedly occupied the top two positions in July across both the US and European PlayStation Store charts.
Are Black Ops and Black Ops II available on PS5?
Yes. New ports of both games launched for PS4 and PS5 in July 2026.
When did Black Ops and Black Ops II launch on modern PlayStation consoles?
Both games were released for PS4 and PS5 on July 9, 2026.
Are the new versions remasters?
No. The PlayStation releases are ports of the original games rather than full graphical remasters.
Could more classic Call of Duty games come to PS5?
Activision has not confirmed that the July chart performance will lead to additional classic Call of Duty ports. However, the strong reception demonstrates clear demand for older entries on modern PlayStation hardware.
