Video games have all the time existed in a numbers-obsessed business. Sega vs. Nintendo outlined a era within the ’90s, whereas right this moment’s comparatively delicate console wars and month-to-month NPD reviews hold gross sales figures close to the forefront of games-related dialogue. New monetization fashions require new metrics for achievement — month-to-month energetic customers, participant retention charges, in-game income, and many others. — however one of many business’s greatest questions stays: What are the best-selling video video games of all time?
To reply this query, we got down to compile probably the most correct listing attainable by reaching out to publishers and digging by means of monetary reviews, information tales, interviews, and extra. The result’s the next listing of the ten best-selling video video games of all time.
Some notes up entrance:
- Pack-in video games are counted towards gross sales totals, contemplating most video games on this listing have been, at one level, bundled with a console.
- Free downloads usually are not counted as gross sales, which excludes massively profitable video games like Fortnite and League of Legends from an inventory like this.
- Attributable to a scarcity of obtainable gross sales information, we couldn’t embrace sure video games which will belong on this listing. For instance, we reached out to Activision-Blizzard looking for up to date gross sales numbers for Diablo 3 (30 million models offered as of June 2015) and the Name of Obligation franchise however didn’t obtain up to date info to incorporate these video games on this listing.
10. Overwatch – 50 million
Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch offered 50 million copies, in keeping with a Bloomberg report printed in April 2022. Overwatch elevated the hero shooter style with good recreation design, thoughtfully crafted heroes, and continued esports help. In October of 2022, Overwatch was changed by its free-to-play sequel, Overwatch 2.
9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – 50 million+
The Witcher 3 was added to this listing in Could 2023 when CD Projekt Pink introduced its seminal RPG handed 50 million copies offered. Whole gross sales for The Witcher sequence, in the meantime, sit at over 75 million.
The developer is now engaged on a number of video games new Witcher video games, together with The Witcher 4 and a Witcher 1 remake.
8. Pink Useless Redemption 2 – 55 million+
Essentially the most not too long ago launched recreation to earn a spot within the high ten is Pink Useless Redemption 2. Rockstar’s western epic offered over 55 million copies by August, in keeping with writer Take-Two’s newest monetary report.
7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – 60 million+
After years of silence concerning Skyrim’s gross sales numbers, Bethesda’s Todd Howard revealed in June 2023 that the RPG has offered over 60 million models because it was first launched in 2011. “We’re sitting right here, it’s 12 years after Skyrim,” Howard instructed IGN. “We’re taking a look at a recreation that has over 60 million copies, and all these individuals taking part in… they’re nonetheless taking part in it.”
Subsequent up for Bethesda Sport Studios is Starfield, its space-set RPG coming to Xbox and PC on September 6.
6. Mario Kart 8 + Deluxe – 63.92 million
With over 55 million copies offered as of June 30, 2023, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling Change recreation, in keeping with Nintendo. Consider gross sales of the unique Wii U launch and that whole rises to nealry 64 million, good for the sixth-best-selling recreation of all time. MK8 is unlikely to rise any increased on this listing given the 11-million-unit gross sales hole between it and the next-best-selling recreation.
5. PUBG – 75 million
Given its important position within the rising recognition of battle royale video games during the last 5 years, it’s unsurprising that PUBG has been such a large gross sales success. Krafton inventive director Dave Curd instructed The Verge it has offered 75 million copies of PUBG as of December 2021. That may possible be the shooter’s ultimate gross sales tally, because it went free to play a month later in January 2022.
Whereas free cell downloads do not rely towards its gross sales whole, it is price noting PUBG Cellular had been downloaded over 1 billion occasions as of March 2021.
4. Wii Sports activities – 82.9 million
Based on Nintendo’s official gross sales figures, Wii Sports activities is the corporate’s best-selling recreation ever. Whereas most entries on this listing have been bundled with a console in some unspecified time in the future, Wii Sports activities was bundled with the Wii in practically all territories at launch. At practically 83 million copies offered, it’s the top-selling single-platform unique of all time.
3. Grand Theft Auto V – 185 million+
Grand Theft Auto 5 is the best-selling console/PC-only recreation of all time (the highest two entries on this listing have cell variations, too). Gross sales of Rockstar’s most bold GTA but surpassed 185 million models as of August 2023. That quantity compiles the sport’s gross sales totals from throughout three console generations and PC between 2013 and 2022.
GTA 5 was the quickest leisure launch throughout all mediums to succeed in $1 billion — and it’s since earned Rockstar and Take-Two billions extra, making it probably the most worthwhile leisure launch ever, not less than as of 2018.
2. Minecraft – 300 million+
Minecraft has offered over 300 million copies as of October 2023, Mojang introduced throughout this yr’s Minecraft Stay (by way of Home windows Central). That determine captures the gross sales whole throughout Minecraft’s many platforms. With movie, Netflix, schooling, toy, and plenty of different initiatives accomplished or within the works, Minecraft has transcended the medium in a manner few others have earlier than it.
1. Tetris – 520 million
Arguably probably the most timeless online game ever created, Tetris sits comfortably atop the listing of all-time bestsellers with 520 million copies offered, in keeping with The Tetris Firm. That quantity contains gross sales throughout all obtainable platforms, with the bulk coming from cell (425 million paid cell downloads as of 2014, in keeping with Henk Rogers, The Tetris Firm’s managing director).
Tetris was initially launched for the Soviet Union-developed Elektronika 60 laptop, and variations of the traditional puzzler have since been made for over 50 totally different platforms. Notably, it helped launch the Sport Boy to success, finally promoting 35 million copies on Nintendo’s handheld console.
Trendy variations of the traditional are nonetheless being launched: Tetris Impact: Linked introduced the puzzler to current-gen consoles with an emotional twist, whereas most not too long ago, in 2020, SEGA launched Puyo Puyo Tetris 2.
