It's been revealed that Grand Theft Auto 5 has singlehandedly outsold every game in the Assassin's Creed series, as well as every game in the Resident Evil series, and has even come close to outselling the Final Fantasy games. GTA 5 is receiving current-gen ports in March, offering enhanced versions of a game that first launched during the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation.
GTA 5 has been a fixture on the sales charts for nearly a decade now. The single-player campaign definitely has its fans, but many players remain invested in the game for its online component, GTA Online. The popularity of GTA Online cannot be understated and Rockstar Games has worked hard to keep fans interested in its multiplayer content. GTA 5 has gone on sale multiple times since it first released, and players have had endless opportunities to experience Michael, Trevor, and Franklin's story for a discounted rate, yet the game just keeps selling. The fact that GTA Online is receiving a standalone release might finally slow sales down, as it could be considered a separate entity from GTA 5.
Take-Two Interactive has released the sales figures for GTA 5, which currently sits at 160 million copies sold as of February 2022. According to journalist Jason Schreier, this means GTA 5 has seemingly outsold the Assassin's Creed series, with its 155 million copies sold as of November 2020, and the Resident Evil series, with its 123 million copies sold as of December 2021. While it's likely AC figures have been boosted since Ubisoft's last 2020 report, it seems unlikely to have bested GTA 5. GTA 5 is also within spitting distance of outselling the Final Fantasy series, with 164 million copies sold as of September 2021. The Assassin's Creed and Resident Evil franchises have put out some highly-acclaimed games in recent years, which sold millions of copies around the world, but the allure of GTA 5 is seemingly too strong.
GTA 5 has impressive sales figures, but it's not the best-selling game of all time, bested only by Minecraft, which Microsoft claims has sold over 238 million copies. Minecraft is one of the most popular games of all time in terms of viewing figures and player base. This doesn't diminish GTA 5's success, however, as it's on fewer platforms than Minecraft, and it has the highest age rating in each region, which severely restricts the audience that can purchase the game. Despite this, GTA 5 has thrived across multiple generations.
The continued success of GTA 5 has been cited as the reason why it has taken so long for news regarding GTA 6 to be released. It wouldn't make sense for Rockstar Games to want to rock the boat with a new entry when the current one is proving so lucrative. The next entry in the series might not arrive for several years, but it's coming, and it could potentially dethrone GTA 5's position. Rockstar Games has finally announced GTA 6, so the era of Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online will likely eventually come to an end, but there's no denying the impact they've had on the industry.
Source: Jason Schreier/Twitter