Red Dead Redemption 2 Becomes Fourth Best-Selling Game Of All Time

Red Dead Redemption 2 has reached another milestone. According to publisher Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s western epic has now sold 79 million copies worldwide, making it the fourth best-selling game in history and the most successful release of the last seven years.

The figure was disclosed quietly in Take-Two’s latest investor report, overshadowed somewhat by the concurrent announcement that Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed until November 2026.

The cumulative sales for the Red Dead series now stand at 106 million, reflecting a decade-long presence across console generations and PC. With this latest update, Red Dead Redemption 2 has outpaced sales of global hits such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter: World, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and The Sims. Even PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which transitioned to free-to-play in 2022, now trails behind. The game has also overtaken Mario Kart 8, previously the fourth-highest seller of all time.

In the broader landscape, only Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto V, and Wii Sports sit higher in the all-time rankings, with lifetime sales of 350 million, 220 million, and 82.9 million copies, respectively. Red Dead Redemption 2 now represents Rockstar’s second major title within the global top four — a rare feat for a single studio.

List of best-selling video games for now:

• Minecraft — 350M
• Grand Theft Auto V — 220M
• Wii Sports — 82.9M
• Red Dead Redemption 2 — 79M
• Mario Kart 8/ Deluxe — 78.02M
• PUBG: Battlegrounds — 75M
• The Oregon Trail — 65M
• Terraria — 64M
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — 60M
• Super Mario Bros. — 58M

Released in 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 was praised for its scale and atmosphere, a vast recreation of the late 19th-century American frontier that balanced narrative weight with environmental detail. Critics regarded it as one of the most technically complete open-world games of its generation, and it continues to draw players years after launch. The single-player campaign, coupled with the online component, has maintained a steady community despite the absence of major updates for several years.

That changed earlier this year when Rockstar released a surprise update for Red Dead Online titled Strange Tales of the West. The expansion introduced four new adventures — Strange Tales of The Plague, Strange Tales of Modern Science, Strange Tales of The Bayou, and Strange Tales of The Wilderness — marking the first substantial addition since 2021’s Blood Money.

Rockstar’s decision was unexpected. Back in 2022, the studio had told players not to anticipate any more large-scale content for Red Dead Online. The sudden release of Strange Tales of the West, accompanied by a trailer shared by both Rockstar and PlayStation, suggested renewed attention to the series. Fans noted the unusual coordination between the two companies and speculated about a possible next-generation update for Red Dead Redemption 2 — or even a Switch 2 port — though no official confirmation followed.

The update also introduced a new supernatural “infected” mode, and an in-game description framed the missions as stories gathered by author Theodore Levin, who seeks help investigating bizarre phenomena across the frontier. The tone hinted at a return to Red Dead’s stranger side — a mixture of folklore, mystery, and the surreal — and the subtitle “Volume One” left players wondering whether more chapters are planned.

For all its technical achievement, Red Dead Redemption 2’s longevity rests on its quiet persistence — the kind that allows it to outlast trends and outpace newer releases. Few games continue to grow in stature seven years after release, but Red Dead has become that exception.

Read also, Dan Houser, Rockstar’s co-founder and lead writer of Red Dead Redemption 2, confirmed that a third entry in the franchise “will probably happen,” though he admitted mixed feelings about its continuation. Speaking on the Lex Fridman Podcast, Houser said the existing games form “a cohesive two-game arc.”