List of best-selling video games in the United States by year
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This is a listing of the best-selling video games in the United States annually by units sold since 1980, with sales figures from Circana since 1994.[1] The United States is a very competitive market for video game developers. Games from different developers around the world have entered the annual lists of top ten best-selling games in the United States. The most successful developers are mostly from the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom and Sweden.
Among the forty-three reported annual top-sellers between 1980 and 2024, thirteen were published by Activision Blizzard and another thirteen by Nintendo, four each by Atari and Take-Two Interactive, three by Electronic Arts, and two each by Sega and Acclaim Entertainment. Video game publishers Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts managed to enter the list of ten best-selling games every single year with at least one of their games for the last fifteen years in a row. Of the twelve best-selling games released in the last fourteen years, twelve were from Call of Duty franchise and published by Activision Blizzard. Madden NFL and the Call of Duty series have been on the annual top ten best-sellers list twelve times over the last thirteen years. Call of Duty has been the best-selling video game series in the US for the past sixteen years.
The Circana lists do not encompass the industry as a whole, as some publishers, developers, and the majority of indie developers do not share data with NPD. Some video games companies also do not share physical games sales and some digital storefront sales such as Steam and Battle.net. Companies that share data with NPD include: Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Embracer Group, Konami, Krafton, Marvelous, Microsoft Gaming, NCSoft, Sega, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games, and Wizard of the Coast.
Ubisoft has stopped sharing data with Circana in 2025.[2] Nintendo does not share digital sales data with the NPD. Blizzard Entertainment does not share Battle.net sales, and other publishers may not share their data. As a result, some games are underrepresented.
1980–1997
| Year | Top-selling title | Developer | Publisher | Platform(s) | Sales | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Space Invaders | Taito | Atari | Atari VCS | 1,318,655 | [3][4] |
| 1981 | 2,964,137 | [4] | ||||
| 1982 | Pac-Man | Namco, Atari | Atari | Atari VCS | 7,271,844 | [4] |
| 1983 | Ms. Pac-Man | GCC, Midway | Atari | Atari VCS | 1,963,078 | |
| 1986 | Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo R&D4 | Nintendo | NES | 1,000,000+ | [5][6] |
| 1987 | The Legend of Zelda | Nintendo R&D4 | Nintendo | NES | 2,000,000 | [7][8] |
| 1988 | Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt | Nintendo | Nintendo | NES | 2,000,000+ | [9][10] |
| 1989 | Unknown | [11] | ||||
| 1990 | Super Mario Bros. 3 | Nintendo R&D4 | Nintendo | NES | 8,000,000 | [5][12] |
| 1991 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic Team | Sega | Genesis | 1,000,000+ | [13] |
| 1992 | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Sega | Sega | Genesis | 2,000,000 | [14] |
| 1993 | Mortal Kombat | Midway | Acclaim | Multi-platform | 1,627,800 | [15][16] |
| 1994 | Donkey Kong Country | Rare | Nintendo | SNES | 2,057,006 | [17][18] |
| 1995 | 1,000,000+ | [19][20] | ||||
| 1996 | Super Mario 64 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | N64 | 2,000,000+ | [21][22] |
| 1997 | Mario Kart 64 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | N64 | 1,500,000+ | [21][23] |
1990–2017
The following titles are the top ten best-selling video games of all time in the United States up until 2017, according to sales figures from The NPD Group. The list covers console games and PC games, but does not include console pack-in game bundles, arcade video games, mobile games or free-to-play titles. Among the top ten titles, six were developed or published by Japanese company Nintendo, two published by American company Activision, and two from British developer Rockstar North and American publisher Rockstar Games.
| No. | Title | Year | Developer | Publisher | Platform(s) | Sales | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Theft Auto V | 2013 | Rockstar North | Rockstar Games | Multi-platform | — | [24] |
| 2 | Pokémon Red / Blue / Yellow / Green | 1998 | Game Freak | Nintendo | GB, GBA | 19,370,000 | [a] |
| 3 | Wii Fit / Plus | 2008 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Wii | 15,500,000 | [27] |
| 4 | Call of Duty: Black Ops | 2010 | Treyarch | Activision | Multi-platform | 14,983,459 | [28] |
| 5 | Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal | 2000 | Game Freak | Nintendo | GBC, DS | 13,293,889 | [b] |
| 6 | Wii Play | 2006 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Wii | 13,060,000 | [27] |
| 7 | Mario Kart Wii | 2008 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Wii | 11,300,000 | [27] |
| 8 | Super Mario Bros. 3 | 1990 | Nintendo R&D4 | Nintendo | NES, GBA | 10,880,000 | [c] |
| 9 | Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock | 2007 | Neversoft | Activision | Multi-platform | 10,200,000 | [32] |
| 10 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | 2004 | Rockstar North | Rockstar Games | PS2, Xbox | 9,800,000 | [32] |
1998–2009
1998
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the best-selling game of 1998.
1999
Donkey Kong 64 was the best-selling game of 1999. Seven of the 10 best-selling games in the US in 1998 were published by Nintendo.
2000
Pokémon Gold/Silver was the best-selling game of 2000.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pokémon Gold/Silver | Game Freak | Nintendo |
| 2. | Pokémon Stadium | Nintendo EAD | |
| 3. | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater | Neversoft | Activision |
| 4. | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 | ||
| 5. | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo |
| 6. | Madden NFL 2001 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts |
| 7. | The Sims | Maxis | |
| 8. | Diablo II | Blizzard North | Blizzard Entertainment |
| 9. | Pokémon Yellow | Game Freak | Nintendo |
| 10 | Perfect Dark | Rare | Rare |
2001
Madden NFL 2002 was the best-selling game of 2001.
2002
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was the best-selling game of 2002. Five of the 10 best-selling games in the US in 2002 were published by Electronic Arts.
2003
Madden NFL 2004 was the best-selling game of 2003.
2004
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the best-selling game of 2004.
2005
Madden NFL 06 was the best-selling game of 2005.
2006
Madden NFL 07 was the best-selling game of 2006.
2007
Halo 3 was the best-selling game of 2007.[33]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Halo 3 | Bungie | Microsoft Game Studios | 4,820,000 |
| 2. | Wii Play | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 4,120,000 |
| 3. | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | Infinity Ward | Activision | 3,040,000 |
| 4. | Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock | Neversoft | 2,720,000 | |
| 5. | Super Mario Galaxy | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 2,520,000 |
| 6. | Pokémon Diamond/Pearl | Game Freak | 2,480,000 | |
| 7. | Madden NFL 08 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | 1,900,000 |
| 8. | Guitar Hero II | Harmonix | Activision | 1,890,000 |
| 9. | Assassin's Creed | Ubisoft Montreal | Ubisoft | 1,870,000 |
| 10. | Mario Party 8 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 1,820,000 |
2008
Wii Play was the best-selling game of 2008.[34][35]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wii Play | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 5,280,000 |
| 2. | Grand Theft Auto IV | Rockstar North | Take-Two Interactive | 5,180,000 |
| 3. | Mario Kart Wii | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 5,000,000 |
| 4. | Wii Fit | 4,530,000 | ||
| 5. | Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Sora Ltd, Game Arts | 4,170,000 | |
| 6. | Call of Duty: World at War | Treyarch | Activision Blizzard | 2,750,000 |
| 7. | Gears of War 2 | Epic Games | Xbox Game Studios | 2,310,000 |
| 8. | Madden NFL 09 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | 1,870,000 |
| 9. | Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | Kojima Productions | Konami | 1,850,000 |
| 10. | Mario Kart DS | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 1,650,000 |
2009
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the best-selling game of 2009.[36][37][38]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | Infinity Ward | Activision Blizzard | 5,830,000 |
| 2. | Wii Sports Resort | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 4,220,000+ |
| 3. | New Super Mario Bros. Wii | 4,220,000 | ||
| 4. | Wii Fit | 3,500,000+ | ||
| 5. | Wii Fit Plus | 3,136,100+ | ||
| 6. | Mario Kart Wii | 3,136,100 | ||
| 7. | Wii Play | 3,110,000 | ||
| 8. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | Infinity Ward | Activision Blizzard | 3,020,000 |
| 9. | Halo 3: ODST | Bungie | Microsoft Game Studios | 2,000,000+ |
| 10. | Pokémon Platinum | Game Freak | Nintendo | 1,900,000+ |
2010–2019
2010
Call of Duty: Black Ops was the best-selling game of 2010.[39]
2011
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was the best-selling game of 2011, followed by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Madden NFL 12.[40]
2012
Call of Duty: Black Ops II was the best-selling game of 2012.[41]
2013
Grand Theft Auto V was the best-selling game of 2013.[42][43] The game became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history three days after its release.[44]
2014
The best-selling game of 2014 was Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.[45]
2015
The best-selling game of 2015 was Call of Duty: Black Ops III.[46]
2016
The best-selling game of 2016 was Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Among the top ten best-selling games in 2016, eight were multiplayer games and the other two had multiplayer modes. Among the ten titles, three were published by Activision Blizzard, three by Electronic Arts, two by Take-Two Interactive, and one each by Ubisoft and Square Enix.[47]
2017
The best-selling game of 2017 was Call of Duty: WWII, followed by NBA 2K18 and Destiny 2. PUBG is absent from the list due to PUBG Corporation not sharing sales data with the NPD.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Call of Duty: WWII | Sledgehammer Games | Activision Blizzard | |
| 2. | NBA 2K18 | Visual Concepts | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 3. | Destiny 2 | Bungie | Activision Blizzard | Digital sales incomplete |
| 4. | Madden NFL 18 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 5. | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
| 6. | Grand Theft Auto V | Rockstar North | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 7. | Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands | Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Milan | Ubisoft | |
| 8. | Star Wars Battlefront II | DICE | Electronic Arts | Digital sales incomplete |
| 9. | Super Mario Odyssey | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
| 10. | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Digital sales not included |
2018
Red Dead Redemption 2 was the best-selling game of 2018, Rockstar Games' first game in over 5 years.[48] For the first time since 2013, the best-selling game of the year wasn't a Call of Duty game.[49]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Red Dead Redemption 2 | Rockstar Games | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 2. | Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 | Treyarch | Activision Blizzard | PC sales not included |
| 3. | NBA 2K19 | Visual Concepts | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 4. | Madden NFL 19 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | PC sales not included |
| 5. | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Bandai Namco Studios, Sora Ltd. | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
| 6. | Marvel's Spider-Man | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment | |
| 7. | Far Cry 5 | Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Toronto | Ubisoft | |
| 8. | God of War | Santa Monica Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment | |
| 9. | Monster Hunter: World | Capcom | Capcom | |
| 10. | Assassin's Creed Odyssey | Ubisoft Quebec | Ubisoft |
2019
The best-selling game of 2019 was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.[50]
2020’s
2020
Top selling game of 2020 was Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, followed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and NBA 2K21. Grand Theft Auto V returns to the Top-10 after three years of absence.[51]
2021
Call of Duty: Vanguard was the best-selling game of 2021.[52] Two of the top 10 best-selling games of 2021 were Activision Blizzard games.[53]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Sledgehammer Games | Activision Blizzard | |
| 2. | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | Treyarch, Raven Software | ||
| 3. | Madden NFL 22 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 4. | Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl | ILCA | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
| 5. | Battlefield 2042 | DICE | Electronic Arts | |
| 6. | Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment | |
| 7. | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
| 8. | Resident Evil Village | Capcom | Capcom | |
| 9. | MLB The Show 21 | San Diego Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment, MLBAM | Digital sales incomplete |
| 10. | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
2022
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II from Activision Blizzard was the best-selling video game in the United States in 2022.[54] The game outperformed the previous record-holders for the series, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 from 2011 and Black Ops II from 2012.[55]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II | Infinity Ward | Activision Blizzard | |
| 2. | Elden Ring | FromSoftware | Bandai Namco | |
| 3. | Madden NFL 23 | EA Orlando | Electronic Arts | |
| 4. | God of War Ragnarök | Santa Monica Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment | |
| 5. | Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Traveller's Tales | Warner Bros. Games | |
| 6. | Pokémon Scarlet and Violet | Game Freak | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
| 7. | FIFA 23 | EA Vancouver, EA Romania | Electronic Arts | |
| 8. | Pokémon Legends: Arceus | Game Freak | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
| 9. | Horizon Forbidden West | Guerrilla Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment, MLBAM | |
| 10. | MLB The Show 22 | San Diego Studio | Digital sales incomplete |
2023
Hogwarts Legacy from Warner Bros. Games was the best-selling video game in the United States in 2023. For the first time in 15 years, the best-selling video game in the US was not a game from Activision or Rockstar Games. However, due to the NPD being unable to track Nintendo digital sales data, only physical sales are counted for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.[56] The NPD is also unable to track Battle.net sales for Diablo IV. Call of Duty finished 2023 as the best-selling video game series in the US market for the 15th consecutive year.[57]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hogwarts Legacy | Avalanche Software | Warner Bros. Games | |
| 2. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III | Sledgehammer Games | Activision Blizzard | |
| 3. | Madden NFL 24 | EA Orlando | Electronic Arts | |
| 4. | Marvel's Spider-Man 2 | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment | |
| 5. | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
| 6. | Diablo IV | Blizzard Entertainment | Activision Blizzard | Battle.net sales not included |
| 7. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II | Infinity Ward | ||
| 8. | Mortal Kombat 1 | NetherRealm Studios | Warner Bros. Games | |
| 9. | Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | Respawn Entertainment | Electronic Arts | |
| 10 | EA Sports FC 24 | EA Vancouver |
2024
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the best-selling video game in the United States in 2024.[58][59]
2025
Battlefield 6 was the best-selling video game in the United States in 2025.[60]
2026
The best-selling video games in the United States in 2026 (as of May).[61]
See also
Notes
- Red sold 4.9 million. Blue sold 5.03 million. Yellow sold 5.2 million.[25] FireRed and LeafGreen sold 2.12 million each.[26]
- Gold sold 3.8 million. Silver sold 3.9 million.[29] Crystal sold 1.65 million.[26] HeartGold and SoulSilver sold 3,943,889.[28]
- Super Mario Bros. 3 sold more than 8 million for Nintendo Entertainment System.[30][31] Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 sold 2.88 million for Game Boy Advance.[26]