Call of Duty franchise has sold over 250m units globally

Publisher Activision has announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops III was the top-selling title of 2015 worldwide.

In a blog post by communications manager Scott Lowe, the firm also revealed that thefranchise to date has reached more than 250 million units.

The post also announced that the series was also the best-selling franchise in North America for the seventh year in a row, according to NPD figures.

In the UK, Black Ops III was the second best-performing game for 2015, beaten only by EA soccer blockbuster FIFA 16. Call of Duty has spent six weeks at No.1in the All Formats chart since it debuted in November.

"Each year, we are reminded of the passion of the Call of Duty community," Lowe said.

"From the excitement we saw at reveal to the massive turnout for the multiplayer beta and at launch in November – 2015 was an incredible year forCall of Duty: Black Ops IIIand the team at Treyarch."