When developers launched games back in the 80s and 90s, they probably weren't thinking long-term, thinking about what these games could be outside of the given platform. For example, was Square thinking about the original Final Fantasy being ported to more consoles than they had on their collective fingers? Probably not, but with the changing of the video game market, some games did have long legs.
10 Games That Surpassed Unrealistically High Expectations
The hype was through the roof for these video games, and somehow, they still managed to surpass all expectations.
Some games also had the luxury of having world-breaking sales over decades, which helped them be remembered more in the cultural zeitgeist of video games. The following aren't the best-selling games of all time in order. Rather, they are some of the best-selling games over a long period, with some cross-contamination in the middle.
It's not exactly easy to find sales data for all of these games, but based on what is out there, here is how things shook out.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Minecraft
An Obvious Example
Anyone who has talked to a child over the past decade can vouch for seeing Minecraft on their desktops, tablets, game consoles, and so on. It’s as ubiquitous as seeing Netflix downloaded on any piece of hardware. The game soft-launched the wider beta in 2009, with Minecraft reaching its 1.0 status in 2011.
While it didn’t reach the top ten slots of the best-selling games initially, it managed to peak between 2013 and 2015, and it consistently sells year after year, making it arguably the best-selling game of all time. By 2020, the game had reached 200M in units sold, and it's only grown since then. Players, in 2026, are still rapidly engaging with it on any number of platforms and letting their creative juices flow.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Leveling Up With Longevity
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is another game that launched in 2011, and thanks to Bethesda not letting it die, it has been re-released in more ways than anyone could count on their hand. It managed to get into the best-selling games of 2011, which is astounding considering it only had two months to do so.
By 2023, estimates put it at about 60M units. This is, of course, taking into consideration all versions and platforms, as no one in 2023 probably bought a new Xbox 360 copy. Even with that caveat, it’s still impressive, going to show just how important The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is for open-world RPG fans.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Online Mode Has Helped It Survive
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Grand Theft Auto 5 was released in 2013, and it’s another example of a publisher/developer not letting their baby die. There are numerous ways to play the game now, and the thing that has truly kept the game selling is the online mode, which is still getting updates.
Grand Theft Auto 5 managed to top the charts between 2013 and 2017 with an incredible five-year streak, not to mention it spiked again in 2020. With rumors of delays happening around Grand Theft Auto 6, Grand Theft Auto 5 could see a similar spike for those impatient to keep waiting for the next big Grand Theft Auto experience.
Payday 2
Robbing Banks And Wallets
- Developer(s)
- Overkill Software
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Grand Theft Auto 5 was not the only 2013 game surviving on its online heist-based gameplay, because so too was Payday 2 ever since its launch. The gameplay is much simpler in this online-focused game, with players teaming up with others online to get a big payday from bank heists and other various scams.
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While the exact numbers leading up to 2025’s 55M celebration are hazy, what is known is that the game sold at least 15M units between 2023 and 2025 alone. What’s even more astounding is that the developer also launched Payday 3 in 2023, which inadvertently could have boosted the sales of its predecessor.
Mario Kart 8
Switching Up Expectations
Mario Kart 8 became one of the best-selling games on the Wii U over the course of its short lifetime when it launched in 2014. For a console no one bought, the attach rate was huge, but the more astounding feat was when the enhanced version was released on the Switch in 2017, called Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
It managed to reach high sales in 2017, 2019, and 2021 across all platforms, which can be attributed to Nintendo putting out DLC for it up until 2023. It dwarfed any success the Wii U version had, and it will be interesting to see if Mario Kart World on the Switch 2 could ever hope to reach these heights.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Netflix Saved The Day
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released in 2015, and it never made it into any top ten slots despite being reviewed as one of the best games of 2015. It continues to astonish new players with its visceral action combat.
Over the years, it continued to sell and be played consistently, although in smaller numbers, but something changed in 2019, which is the first year Netflix released their live-action show based on The Witcher books. This is when sales started to spike for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with the game selling about 10M units a year between 2021 and 2025, and for a game a decade old by 2025, that is unbelievable.
Overwatch
A Confusing History
Overwatch
- Released
- May 24, 2016
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Use of Tobacco, Violence (online interactions not rated)
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
Overwatch was released in 2016, which did manage to make it into the best-selling games of that year. That’s not surprising, considering anything released by Blizzard usually gets a high rate of sales. Overwatch sold a lot in 2016, and by 2021, it reached 60M, which is quite the climb.
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Then things got a little complicated with the launch of its sequel, Overwatch 2, in Early Access in 2022, which effectively shut down the original’s servers despite all of these sales. Overwatch 2 then launched officially in 2023 and rebranded itself to just Overwatch in 2026. Release history aside, the original Overwatch’s climb to success over its short period will go down in the video game history books.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Everyone Is Here
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launched in 2018 for the Switch exclusively, and for two consecutive years, it reached high in the sales charts. Between 2020 and 2025, it continued to sell about 15M more units, getting to around the 36M mark over eight years. That may not be Minecraft numbers, but for a fighting game and for the franchise as a whole, this was a big win for Nintendo.
It certainly helped that the selling point of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was getting every single character back again and then adding more to it over time, along with the solid controls and good balance between all of the characters.
Red Dead Redemption 2
A Narrative Western Like No Other
Rockstar manager to squeak out another heavy hitter, Red Dead Redemption 2, which had less time to ruminate. It also has an online component, although it has been less successful, with the selling point for this game being the rich story and world design.
There is a rare amount of documentation from Rockstar to let fans see how things have grown since its debut in 2018. The amount sold year after year ranged between 7M and 11M on average up to 2025, where it now sits at 82M units sold. In a time when Westerns are largely dead as a genre in all media, that’s something to study.
10 Games That Should Have Been Much Longer
These games are great as they are, but we were left wanting just a few hours more of content by the end.