Minecraft is the best-selling individual video game of all time. Guinness World Records lists it at 350 million units sold, based on a figure confirmed by Mojang in the official Minecraft Annual 2026. The record is dated April 2025.
Why, then, do some lists put Tetris first? The Tetris Company reports more than 520 million units sold, but that figure covers the Tetris brand and its many licensed releases. It is not the sales total of one standardized title. When games are ranked as individual titles, Minecraft is the clearest number one.
Last checked: August 11, 2026. Each figure in the table keeps its own reporting date because publishers update sales at different times, and some stop reporting older games altogether.
What Counts as a Sale in This Ranking?
This ranking uses publicly reported worldwide unit sales for individual games. Physical and digital copies are combined when the source reports them together. Releases across different platforms or editions are combined only when the publisher treats them as the same title.
Revenue, downloads, registered accounts, active players, concurrent users, and franchise-wide totals are excluded. These figures measure popularity in other ways, but they do not show how many copies a game sold. The table also preserves the source’s wording, so a figure such as “over 230 million sold-in” remains a reported lower bound rather than being converted into an exact number of customer purchases.
Top 10 Best-Selling Video Games of All Time
Source: SoonLab
| Rank | Game | Reported Sales | Release Year | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minecraft | Over 350 million | 2011 | PC, mobile, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo |
| 2 | Grand Theft Auto V | Over 230 million sold-in | 2013 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox |
| 3 | Red Dead Redemption 2 | Over 87 million sold-in | 2018 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox |
| 4 | Wii Sports | 82.79 million | 2006 | Wii |
| 5 | PUBG: Battlegrounds | More than 75 million | 2017 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox |
| 6 | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | 71.53 million | 2017 | Nintendo Switch |
| 7 | Terraria | 70 million | 2011 | PC, consoles, mobile |
| 8 | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 65 million | 2015 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch |
| 9 | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Over 60 million | 2011 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch |
| 10 | Human: Fall Flat | Over 55 million | 2016 | PC, consoles, mobile, VR, cloud |
Important: The ranking follows reported figures, not private sales estimates. A game with an older “over” figure may have sold more copies since its last update, but it cannot be moved above a newer official milestone without evidence.
1. Minecraft — Over 350 Million Units
Guinness World Records identifies Minecraft as the best-selling video game, with over 350 million units confirmed by Mojang and dated April 2025. This is newer than the widely quoted 300 million milestone announced during Minecraft Live in October 2023.
Minecraft has accumulated sales across computers, phones, tablets, consoles, and handheld systems. Its long commercial life also spans different editions and store ecosystems. The 350-million figure is therefore a cross-platform total for Minecraft, not a count of unique people and not the combined sales of Minecraft Dungeons, Minecraft Legends, or every other game using the brand.
Also Read2. Grand Theft Auto V — Over 230 Million Units Sold-In
Take-Two's August 2026 investor presentation reports that Grand Theft Auto V has sold-in over 230 million units. That makes GTA V the second best-selling individual video game on the latest published figures.
The total covers releases across three console generations and PC. GTA Online has kept the product visible through regular updates, while new hardware versions have created additional purchase opportunities. These factors are consistent with GTA V's long sales tail, although the public data does not tell us how many buyers purchased the game more than once or how many units can be attributed to each factor.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 — Over 87 Million Units Sold-In
The same Take-Two presentation reports over 87 million units sold-in for Red Dead Redemption 2 as of August 2026. Its latest disclosed total places it above Wii Sports and makes it the third-ranked individual title in this list.
Red Dead Redemption 2 reached that position with fewer native platform releases than Minecraft or GTA V. Red Dead Online came with every copy of the main game and was later offered as a standalone product, so online access and base-game sales should not be treated as identical measures. Take-Two's 87-million statement is specifically attached to Red Dead Redemption 2.
4. Wii Sports — 82.79 Million Units
Nintendo reports 82.79 million worldwide units for Wii Sports as of September 30, 2016. It remains the highest reported total for a game released on only one platform.
That record needs a major qualification. Nintendo says its Wii software numbers include quantities bundled with hardware, and Wii Sports came with the Wii console for long periods in markets including the United States and Europe. The figure measures distributed game units under Nintendo's reporting rules; it does not mean 82.79 million customers separately chose and paid for Wii Sports.
5. PUBG: Battlegrounds — More Than 75 Million Copies
KRAFTON reported more than 75 million PC and console copies sold on January 25, 2022. This is the paid-copy milestone that belongs in a best-selling games list.
PUBG: Battlegrounds became free-to-play on January 12, 2022. New users after that change may increase account, player, or download totals, but they do not represent additional paid copies. PUBG Mobile figures also should not be added to this sales number because it is a separate free-to-play product with different distribution and reporting.
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — 71.53 Million Units
Nintendo lists Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at 71.53 million units as of June 30, 2026. The total includes packaged and downloadable software, as well as copies bundled with hardware or other products.
The Wii U game Mario Kart 8 is reported separately at 8.46 million units. Adding the two produces 79.99 million, but that calculation mixes two products that Nintendo lists independently, with different platform releases and content packages. This ranking therefore uses Mario Kart 8 Deluxe alone.
7. Terraria — 70 Million Copies
For Terraria's 15th anniversary, Re-Logic published a clear platform breakdown: 70 million copies in total as of May 16, 2026, including 39.6 million on PC, 10.7 million on consoles, and 19.7 million on mobile.
The breakdown is useful because it separates sales from other large numbers in the same announcement. Re-Logic also reported 12.3 million tModLoader downloads and daily player statistics, but neither is added to the 70-million sales total. Terraria's many updates, broad device coverage, and frequent discounts coincide with its continued growth; the public figures do not isolate the sales effect of each one.
8. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — 65 Million Copies
CD PROJEKT announced that The Witcher 3 reached the 65 million cumulative sales threshold on May 28, 2026. The figure covers the game's long run across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch releases.
Complete editions and updates for newer hardware have kept the game available to successive audiences. CD PROJEKT also added it to Xbox Game Pass in 2026, but subscription access is not automatically a copy sale and should not be counted again. The published 65-million threshold remains the comparable unit figure.
9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — Over 60 Million Copies
Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard said Skyrim had sold over 60 million copies in an IGN interview published June 11, 2023. No newer Bethesda unit milestone was found during the August 2026 check, so “over 60 million” is the latest confirmed lower bound rather than a current estimate.
Skyrim has appeared in original, Special, VR, and Anniversary editions across several hardware generations. The reported total therefore reflects repeated releases of the same core title, and some customers may own more than one edition. It should not be read as 60 million unique players.
10. Human: Fall Flat — Over 55 Million Units
Curve Games reported over 55 million units sold on January 29, 2025. The publisher lists versions for PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, VR platforms, and Amazon Luna.
The game expanded from eight launch levels to 28 by the time of the announcement, while adding platforms and free content. That pattern resembles several other long-running games in the top 10: availability and continued support create more opportunities to sell over time. The sales announcement does not establish how much each update or platform contributed.
What the Top 10 Suggests About Long-Term Game Sales
The list does not prove a single formula for commercial success, but four distribution patterns appear repeatedly.
- Cross-platform reach: Minecraft, GTA V, Terraria, The Witcher 3, Skyrim, and Human: Fall Flat can accumulate sales from several device markets.
- Long support cycles: updates can keep an older title visible and compatible, giving new players reasons to discover it years after launch.
- Bundles and re-releases: Wii Sports benefited heavily from hardware bundling, while GTA V and Skyrim have been sold across multiple console generations. These practices increase reported units but make unique-buyer comparisons difficult.
- Lower prices and promotions: older games and indie titles can reach new audiences during sales. Public totals rarely show how many units were sold at full price, at a discount, or in a bundle.
These are associations, not proof that one tactic caused a particular sales total. Quality, cultural timing, platform growth, word of mouth, competition, regional pricing, and many other variables also matter. The public data is not detailed enough for a clean causal test.
For creators, the useful lesson is to build a small repeatable loop before planning a decade of content. This guide on how to make a video game explains how to turn an idea into a playable system, research its audience, and decide what deserves full production. Once the core idea is clear, SoonLab's guide to prototyping video games with AI shows how to test one mechanic and improve it through feedback.
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Why Do Some Sources Rank Tetris Above Minecraft?
The disagreement comes from the unit being counted. The Tetris Company reported more than 520 million copies sold on June 5, 2026. In the same announcement, it described Tetris as a brand present on more than 50 platforms and supported by a global network of licensees.
Those sales span many distinct Tetris products released by different companies over more than four decades. The number is best understood as a brand or series total. Guinness also describes Tetris as a series when comparing it with other best-selling video game series.
Minecraft's more-than-350-million figure also combines platforms and editions, but it tracks one continuously marketed core game rather than dozens of separately licensed Tetris releases. That is why Minecraft can be the number one best-selling video game while Tetris has the larger brand-level total.
Why Video Game Sales Rankings Are Difficult to Compare
1. Copies sold and sold-in are not identical
Publishers do not use one universal definition. Take-Two reports GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 as sold-in. Nintendo reports worldwide consolidated unit sales. Other companies say copies sold without publishing a detailed accounting definition. These figures are useful, but they are not perfectly standardized.
2. Bundles can count as software units
Nintendo explicitly includes hardware bundles in Wii Sports and current Switch software totals. A bundled copy is a distributed unit, but the buyer may have chosen the console rather than the game. Lists that exclude bundles will produce a different result.
3. One game can have many editions
GTA V, Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Minecraft have been sold on multiple generations of hardware. Publishers may combine standard, complete, remastered, or current-generation editions under one title. The totals can include repeat purchases by the same person.
4. Free-to-play changes the measurement
PUBG: Battlegrounds sold more than 75 million paid copies before becoming free-to-play. Later accounts and downloads measure reach, not additional copy sales. The same caution applies to large free games: Fortnite, Roblox, and similar services may have enormous audiences without qualifying for a ranking based on paid software units.
5. Publishers stop reporting at different times
Wii Sports has an official figure dated 2016, Skyrim's latest public milestone is from 2023, and Take-Two updates its major titles every quarter. A newer disclosure can move a game up the list even when an older title has continued selling quietly. “Over” figures are also lower bounds, not exact live totals.
6. Revenue, players, and downloads answer other questions
A $70 sale and a $5 promotional sale both count as one unit. A subscription player may generate revenue without buying a copy. Registered players may include inactive or duplicate accounts. Arcade earnings count paid plays, not home software copies. Mixing these measures can make a ranking look precise while comparing unrelated data.
FAQs
What is the best-selling video game of all time?
Minecraft is the best-selling individual video game of all time, with over 350 million units sold as of the latest confirmed record dated April 2025.
Is Minecraft or Tetris number one?
Minecraft is number one when ranking a single video game. Tetris reports more than 520 million copies across a brand with many licensed versions on more than 50 platforms. Tetris has the larger aggregated brand total, but it is not a like-for-like single-title figure.
What is the second best-selling video game?
Grand Theft Auto V is second, with over 230 million units sold-in according to Take-Two's August 2026 investor presentation.
What is the best-selling game on a single platform?
Wii Sports has the highest official single-platform total at 82.79 million units on Wii. However, Nintendo's figure includes copies bundled with Wii hardware in many markets. If a list excludes bundles, the answer requires a different methodology and cannot be settled from Nintendo's headline totals alone.
Are console and franchise rankings counted differently?
Yes. A console ranking counts sales on one hardware family. A franchise or series ranking adds multiple distinct games. This article ranks individual titles across their officially combined platforms and editions, so it does not answer separate questions such as the best-selling Xbox game, PC game, racing series, sports franchise, or arcade game.
Do downloads or registered players count as game sales?
Not automatically. A paid digital purchase may count as a software sale, but a free download, subscription installation, registered account, or active player is a different metric. It belongs in a sales ranking only when the publisher explicitly includes it in reported paid units.
Conclusion
Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time under the clearest single-title definition, with over 350 million units sold. GTA V is second at over 230 million sold-in, and Red Dead Redemption 2 now ranks third at over 87 million sold-in. Tetris exceeds 520 million only when many licensed versions are combined at the brand level.
The larger lesson is that sales tables reflect distribution as well as demand. Platforms, editions, bundles, pricing, and years of support all shape the numbers. If the list inspires a game idea, start with a small test rather than the scale of a global hit; this beginner guide to making an indie game explains several practical ways to build the first playable version.