Wolverine Dominates Physical Sales as EA Sports FC 27 Smashes Digital in Spain

The week of September 14–20 left two clear winners in the Spanish market. According to data from the Spanish Video Game Association (AEVI) reported by Vandal, Marvel's Wolverine took first place in physical sales in its launch week, while EA Sports FC 27, which hadn't even officially released yet, skyrocketed in digital sales thanks to its early access. A hero with adamantium claws against the annual virtual football game: the showdown almost everyone saw coming.

Why does it matter? Because the week 38 chart says a lot about how people buy games in Spain. Physical still carries weight when a high-profile exclusive arrives, but the bulk of sales has already moved to digital, especially for a game that lives on competitive play and the Ultimate Team season. On top of that, a surprise that nobody had predicted snuck onto the list.

What you need to know

• Marvel's Wolverine tops physical sales with 36,370 copies in Spain.
• It is followed by Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave (12,549 units) and, surprisingly, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter (1,618 units).
• EA Sports FC 27 sold 178,428 digital copies during its early access week, available since September 18 with the €109.99 Ultimate Edition.
• In combined sales (physical plus digital), Wolverine drops to second place with 51,315 copies.
• FC 27 officially launched on September 25, which is why it doesn't appear in this week's physical chart.

The numbers, one by one

The picture AEVI paints has one obvious feature: the gaps between positions are huge. Wolverine nearly triples the runner-up in physical sales, and third place settles for a modest figure that is still enough to make the podium. That speaks as much to the strength of Marvel's game as to how fragmented the rest of the physical market is in any given week.

The FC 27 case: selling before launch

EA Sports FC 27 deserves a section of its own. This is a game that, that week, could only be played by buying the most expensive edition, the €109.99 Ultimate, and it still comfortably beat Wolverine's combined sales. Early access is no longer a perk for a select few: it's the real start of the season for a huge part of the community, the players who want to build their squad before anyone else and head into the first competitive modes with an edge.

The podium surprise

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter showing up in the physical top 3 is the curious footnote of the week. With just over sixteen hundred copies it makes the list, proving that a loyal niche, fans of long-running JRPGs, can break through when physical competition is thin.

Our take

Here at Underworld Lordz, we're clear on this: the FC 27 figure is a warning sign disguised as a success. Nearly 180,000 people in Spain paying €109.99 to play a week early confirms that, in competitive football, showing up late costs you. Anyone who waits for the standard edition starts at a disadvantage in the transfer market and in the early rewards. That normalizes the premium version being, in practice, the competitive version. And we don't like fair access depending on how deep your pockets are.

That said, credit where it's due to Wolverine. Leading physical sales by that margin shows that a well-crafted exclusive still drives people to stores, and for content creators it's a clear opportunity: big-budget narrative games generate viewership spikes in streams, guides and full playthroughs for weeks. FC 27, on the other hand, is long-term content: packs, squads, tournaments and FUT Champions all the way to next summer.

The bottom line for players and streamers is practical: if you compete in FC, the calendar starts with early access, whether you like it or not. If you create content, timing is everything, and this week proved there's room for two very different audiences at the same time.

What do you think?

Early access has become the real gateway to FC's competitive season, and a Marvel exclusive has once again packed physical stores. We've shared our stance, now it's your turn. Would you pay €109.99 to play a week early, or do you think it's a trap for the most competitive players? Drop by the team chat or our Discord and let us know.