8 of the Highest-Grossing Video Games in History

The video gaming industry, like its movie counterpart, has blockbuster titles that enthral huge audiences around the world. Where video games differ is that their impact is not defined solely by box-office weeks. The biggest video game blockbusters have digital distribution, live-service updates, and vast player-community ecosystems that enable them to thrive for decades. These are the highest-grossing video games in history that put the biggest Hollywood blockbusters to shame.

Tetris

With more than 520 million units sold, Tetris is the biggest gaming phenomenon in history. That Tetris tops the list of highest-grossing video games in history is a tad ironic considering no game developer company officially invented it. The Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov invented Tetris as an experimental game during the 1980s. However, the addictive simplicity, universal appeal, and unmatched portability of Tetris made it one of the most popular and playable games ever made.

Note that Tetris is the highest-grossing game because of its cross-generational lifespan across consoles, gaming PCs, and mobile phones throughout the decades. Its overall sales statistic encompasses all iterations of Tetris rather than one single version of the game. The Game Boy Tetris remains the highest-grossing single version of the game.

Minecraft

Minecraft is the highest-grossing single-release video game in history, with more than 350 million copies shifted. This is a digital sandbox game in which players can design and explore blocky 3D worlds. Minecraft is the game that popularized and defined the modern block-building sandbox genre we know and love today. The enduring popularity of Minecraft lies in its sandbox freedom, accessibility, and social appeal. It is a game that appeals to players of all ages (like Tetris) as a virtual social space and creative outlet.

Grand Theft Auto V

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V is one of the highest-grossing video games that had a record-breaking launch, as the game sold millions of copies in one day alone. It has since shifted about 225 million copies on various consoles and Windows PC. This game has been a huge hit because of its groundbreaking single-player campaign, unmatched open-world freedom, and massive, evolving multiplayer scene. The unprecedented longevity of its multiplayer platform has transformed GTA V into a more social platform with regular updates that keep players coming back for more.

Wii Sports

Wii Sports became one of the highest-grossing video games in history mainly because it was the pack-in launch title for the Wii. In terms of quality, Wii Sports wasn’t necessarily the best launch title ever, but it’s still the highest-grossing single-platform game in history, with 82.9 million copies shifted. Wii Sports is among the most widely played games because it provided an irresistible tech demo for its console’s revolutionary motion controls. Thus, this was a launch title that redefined modern gaming with its innovative controls for playing tennis, bowling, baseball, golf, and boxing sport mini-games.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is another massive Rockstar hit, which has amassed approximately 82 million units sold to date. The RD2 game had a staggering opening weekend, which gave it considerable momentum thereafter. This Western epic had rave reviews because players loved its unmatched open-world quality and hugely engaging single-player campaign. The monetization diversity of RDR 2, with regular digital discounts and premium editions, has sustained its long-term demand.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 was the biggest hit on the Wii U, which became one of the highest-grossing video games in history when Nintendo released a revamped Deluxe version on the Switch. Players loved Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch because its multiplayer perfectly leveraged that console’s Joy-Cons, and a massive DLC effectively doubled its size by expanding its track count to 96. The two Mario Kart 8 game versions have shifted approximately 79 million copies, making MK 8 one of the biggest Nintendo hits in history.

PUBG: Battlegrounds

PUBG: Battlegrounds is the game that defined the multiplayer battle royale genre. As the definitive battle royale game, PUBG shifted more than 75 million copies before it transitioned to a free-to-play model. The last-man-standing format PUBG established provided thrilling, high-stakes social gameplay that has enthralled players throughout its history. Today, PUBG continues to flourish as a free-to-play mobile and PC game that remains among the most popular Steam titles.

Terraria

The Terraria 2D action-adventure game sandbox video game has shown that indie games can compete with AAA alternatives from big-name developers. In fact, Terraria is one of the highest-grossing video games in history, having accumulated 64 million unit sales across various consoles, PC, and mobile platforms. Terraria is among the most popular video games because it’s almost like a 2D Minecraft with its intricate mining and building that add deep progression and replayability. It has established a huge, loyal global community of players with its unmatched value and regular stream of free content updates.

The highest-grossing video games in history, as shown above, don’t show any kind of golden formula for gaming blockbusters. They are huge game hits that have established distinct operational niches in different ways across variable genres. Some are hugely popular multiplayer titles, single-player blockbusters, or a mixture of both. One thing to note is that most of those gaming hits are multiplatform, but Nintendo’s biggest blockbusters are an exception.