Modern Warfare 4 tops October's PS5 downloads, but BeamNG.drive is the month's surprise

Call of Duty finishing first in a monthly PlayStation download chart is hardly an unexpected headline. The more interesting story in Sony's October 2026 rankings is what happened immediately behind it.

Modern Warfare 4 secured the top position for PS5 downloads in both the United States and Canada and Europe, according to figures published by Sony Interactive Entertainment on November 4.

BeamNG.drive finished second in North America and third in Europe, while EA Sports FC 27 occupied the opposite positions. Phantom Blade Zero completed the top four in both regions.

These rankings track digital downloads through the PlayStation Store. Sony has not disclosed individual download totals, sales revenue or the size of the gaps between titles.

The European PS5 top ten

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 leads the European chart, followed by EA Sports FC 27, BeamNG.drive and Phantom Blade Zero.

Minecraft takes fifth place, with PEAK, Enshrouded and Star Wars: Galactic Racer occupying positions six through eight.

Mafia III: Definitive Edition is ninth, while Planet Zoo 2 rounds out the top ten.

The selection covers a surprisingly broad range of genres, including military shooters, football, driving simulation, action adventures, cooperative games and management experiences.

Minecraft's position is another reminder that the most downloaded games in a particular month are not necessarily the newest releases.

Older titles can continue to attract significant digital interest long after their original launch.

Further down the European list, Grand Theft Auto V is eleventh and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt twelfth. ARC Raiders takes thirteenth, followed by Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve.

It Takes Two, NBA 2K27, Cyberpunk 2077, Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival, Minecraft Dungeons II and Resident Evil 4 complete the top twenty.

BeamNG.drive delivers the unexpected result

BeamNG.drive is the most unusual name near the top of Sony's new PS5 rankings.

Developed by BeamNG GmbH, the driving simulator is known for its detailed vehicle physics. Rather than relying exclusively on predetermined crash animations, the game simulates the behavior and deformation of individual vehicle components.

The result is a driving experience where collisions can unfold differently depending on speed, vehicle structure and impact conditions.

There is more to the game than spectacular crashes. Players can explore large environments, experiment with different vehicles and customize mechanical components.

Its PS5 release introduced that simulation approach to a wider console audience.

Finishing second in North America puts BeamNG.drive ahead of EA Sports FC 27 in the regional digital download chart.

Europe reverses their positions, with the football game taking second place and BeamNG.drive third.

That is a noteworthy result, but it should not be interpreted as proof that BeamNG.drive sold more copies worldwide than the other games.

Sony's list represents downloads on its own digital storefront during October, not total sales across all retailers and platforms.

Phantom Blade Zero makes the top four in both regions

Phantom Blade Zero also achieved a notable result, finishing fourth on both PS5 lists.

Developed by S-Game, the action title combines fast melee combat with a dark fantasy world influenced by martial arts cinema.

Its matching positions in North America and Europe suggest strong placement across the two regions covered by Sony's rankings.

However, the charts do not establish its worldwide sales performance or how its downloads compare with versions sold on other platforms.

Both Phantom Blade Zero and Modern Warfare 4 occupy identical positions across the regional PS5 rankings.

That consistency contrasts with the more pronounced differences involving some sports games and free-to-play titles.

Sports preferences shape the North American chart

The remainder of the North American top ten has a distinct character.

Madden NFL 27 takes fifth place, NBA 2K27 sixth and PEAK seventh.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer finishes eighth, ahead of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve and Minecraft.

Madden NFL 27 is particularly notable because it does not appear in the European top twenty.

NBA 2K27 also ranks considerably higher in North America, where it is sixth compared with sixteenth in Europe.

These differences are consistent with regional sporting interests, although Sony's data does not explain precisely how marketing, promotions or release timing influenced each position.

The rankings should therefore be treated as observations about digital downloads rather than definitive explanations of consumer behavior.

Red Dead Redemption 2 leads the PS4 rankings

The PlayStation 4 lists look substantially different from those for PS5.

Red Dead Redemption 2 takes first place in both North America and Europe.

In the United States and Canada, Batman: Arkham Knight is second, Gang Beasts third, Marvel's Spider-Man fourth and Minecraft fifth.

Europe places EA Sports FC 27 second, followed by Batman: Arkham Knight, A Way Out and Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy.

Bloodborne appears in eleventh place on the European PS4 chart, while Detroit: Become Human ranks sixteenth.

The continued presence of established games highlights the long digital lifespan of the PS4 catalog.

It does not, by itself, establish how many active players those games have or whether downloads come from new or returning audiences.

Hard Bullet tops PlayStation VR2

Virtual reality has its own leader for October.

Hard Bullet ranks first on PS VR2 in both North America and Europe.

The remaining positions differ by region.

Horizon Call of the Mountain is second in North America, followed by Into the Radius 2, Beat Saber and I Am Cat.

In Europe, I Am Cat takes second, Beat Saber third, Horizon Call of the Mountain fourth and Job Simulator fifth.

Sony specifies that the PS VR2 charts count PlayStation Store purchases and exclude upgrades or games bundled with hardware.

The figures therefore have a defined scope and should not be treated as a comprehensive measure of headset usage.

Fortnite and Once Human divide the free-to-play lead

The free-to-play rankings show another regional difference.

Fortnite leads in Europe, followed by Once Human, Call of Duty: Warzone, Roblox and Rocket League.

Once Human is first in North America, with Warzone second and Fortnite third. Roblox ranks fourth in both regions.

Unlike the paid PS5 rankings, these free-to-play charts combine downloads across PS5 and PS4.

A download ranking is also different from a monthly active-player ranking. Free games can attract installations without those installations translating into identical levels of continued engagement.

What Sony's charts actually measure

The October lists provide a useful snapshot of which games attracted downloads through the PlayStation Store in two major regions.

They do not reveal exact sales totals, revenue or the numerical gap between consecutive positions.

They also exclude physical purchases and activity on other gaming platforms.

As a result, the charts cannot determine the best-selling games across the entire global industry.

Within the PlayStation Store, however, October's results are clear. Modern Warfare 4 leads both PS5 regions, BeamNG.drive has secured a standout position and Phantom Blade Zero is firmly established in fourth place.

November's ranking will provide the next indication of whether those positions can survive another month of major releases.