Imagine: you release a game, don’t touch its content for seven years, close the online mode, and don’t port it to the latest hardware – and at the same time sell more copies than in the first year after release. It sounds like nonsense. But that’s exactly what’s happening with Red Dead Redemption 2 right now.
According to the financial report of Take-Two Interactive, published on May 21, 2026, the total circulation of RDR2 has exceeded 85 million copies. This automatically pushed the game to the third line of the best—selling video games in history, where Wii Sports from Nintendo used to rule unchallenged.
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The best-selling games in history: the current rating table for 2026
To assess the scale of what is happening, we need context. Here’s what the top looks like right now:
| # | The game | Copies sold | Release year | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minecraft | ~350 million | 2011 | All platforms |
| 2 | Grand Theft Auto V | ~225-230 million | 2013 | PC, PS3–PS5, Xbox 360–Series |
| 3 | Red Dead Redemption 2 | 85+ million | 2018 | PC, PS4, Xbox One |
| 4 | Wii Sports | ~82.9 million | 2006 | Nintendo Wii (bundle) |
| 5 | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | ~78 million | 2017 | Nintendo Switch |
| 6 | PUBG: Battlegrounds | ~75 million | 2017 | PC, consoles, mobile |
| 7 | Terraria | ~64 million | 2011 | Multiplatform |
| 8 | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | ~60 million | 2015 | PC, Consoles, Switch |
One detail catches my eye: RDR2 is the only game on this list that was released after 2017 and is available on only three platforms. Without the Switch. Without the PS5. Without the mobile version. Without reissue.
How does the RDR2 record differ from the Wii Sports record — and why is it important
When they say “overtook Wii Sports,” there’s more than just arithmetic behind it. Wii Sports hit its 82 million mark largely because Nintendo simply put it in every console box. The buyer went for the Wii and received a tennis and bowling as a gift. The game became a hit not because it was specifically hunted, but because it existed by default.
The story with RDR2 is fundamentally different. There are no bundles, no giveaways, no Game Pass on the day of release. Each of the 85 million copies is a separate, conscious decision by a person to get a wallet. This is a fundamentally different type of commercial success.
The chronology of growth is also indicative:
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2018, the first two months — 23 million copies: an explosive start.
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By 2022 — 50 million: stable but predictable growth.
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November 2025 — 79 million: the game accelerates.
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March 2026 — already 85 million: the pace is accelerating, although there is practically no news about the game.
Over the past six months, RDR2 has added 6 million copies. This is more than many AAA projects sell over their entire lifecycle.
Why the 2018 game is breaking records in 2026: an analysis of the mechanics of “long sales”
The head of Take-Two, Strauss Zelnik, said a phrase worth remembering at the reporting call: over the past fiscal year, RDR2 has sold more copies than in any other 12-month period since its launch. Not “holding up well.” Not “still for sale.” Better than ever — except for the very first year.
How is this possible? Several mechanics are working at the same time:
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Price windows. The game has been several times cheaper than the starting price for a long time, and during seasonal sales on Steam or the PlayStation Store, it consistently reaches the top of downloads. A new wave of players — every time.
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YouTube is like a recruiting machine. For the query “Red Dead Redemption 2”, the search engine returns millions of videos — reviews, walkthroughs, role-playing sessions, “hidden details that you missed.” Algorithms continue to recommend this content to people who haven’t even thought about the game.
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Meme resource by Arthur Morgan. The character lives his life on the Internet — quotes, reactions, comparisons. This is free marketing that no one ordered.
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Accumulated pent-up demand. Some of the audience had been postponing the purchase for years — they were waiting for the native PS5 version, they were waiting for a discount, they just couldn’t get their hands on it. At some point, waiting gets boring.
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The effect of the “last big single-player RPG”. Against the background of endless service games and multiplayer, RDR2 is perceived as a rare artifact — a huge, complete story without donations and combat passes.
Rockstar controls two out of three places in the global game sales ranking
There is another angle from which it is worth looking at this news. The second place in the ranking is occupied by GTA V, also a Rockstar. The third is now RDR2, Rockstar again. There has never been such a thing in the history of the gaming industry: one developer holds two places in the top three best-selling games of all time.
For comparison: GTA V was released in 2013 and has gained more than 225 million copies to date — this is the second result in history after Minecraft. Both studio projects have long outlived their “active time”, but they continue to sell as if they came out a year ago. This is no longer luck — it’s a systematic approach to creating products with an endless lifecycle.
What to expect next: GTA 6 in November, Enhanced Edition and the question of Red Dead 3
The end of 2026 promises to be busy. GTA 6 is coming out in November, and analysts expect one of the biggest launches in the history of the industry. When this happens, the balance of power in the sales chart may change again.
But the questions that concern Red Dead fans are still unanswered:
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Native version for PS5 and Xbox Series X. The community has been asking for it for several years now — at least a patch for 60 fps. There are no official statements.
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Red Dead Online. The regime has been frozen since 2022. The chance of resuming support looks slim, as long as GTA Online remains Rockstar’s main source of online income.
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Red Dead Redemption 3. Dan Hauser said that the sequel “is likely to happen.” Roger Clark, the voice of Arthur Morgan, is sure that the fans will be waiting for him. But there are zero specifics. The studio’s entire focus is now on GTA 6 and its online cycle, which will last for years.
If we expect any news on Red Dead, it will be no earlier than 2028-2029, when Rockstar completes the main phase of GTA 6 support. It’s a long time. But the industry has already learned to expect from this studio.
Conclusion: what does the 85 million figure say about the state of the gaming industry
The story of RDR2 is not just news about sales. This is a diagnosis of the market.
In an era when publishers are chasing after service games, monetization, and season passes, the old single-player western is selling better than ever without a single update. People vote in rubles — or rather, dollars — for what they lack: a complete, honest, big story.
For Rockstar, these figures are both a compliment and a pressure. It’s a compliment because RDR2 has clearly hit the nerve of the audience and continues to do so seven years later. The pressure is because the bar for Red Dead 3, if it ever comes out, has been raised to the skies. Arthur Morgan is already in history. The next hero will have to rewrite it.
