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It’s hard to imagine a bigger event in gaming, or even in media in general, as big as the release of GTA VI. It isn’t because it’s the sixth instalment of a long-running franchise, at least not only due to that, but because everyone’s eyes are fixed on the game, how it works and what you can do in it.
At least in the world of gaming, though, there are several titles that are just as big as GTA VI, with trailers reaching millions of views and customers willing to spend hundreds of dollars on them. If you’re wondering what are the big names in the video game world, we got you covered.
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Minecraft
Minecraft is arguably the clearest comparison. Microsoft announced more than 300 million copies sold in 2023, while later figures put the total above 350 million. Few games match its combination of sales, cultural recognition, longevity, and worldwide accessibility.
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Tetris
Tetris has something GTA VI can’t possibly have yet: four decades of history. The Tetris Company says the franchise has sold more than 520 million copies worldwide since 1984, making its cultural reach virtually unmatched across generations and platforms.
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Call of Duty
Call of Duty has crossed 500 million copies sold as a franchise, according to Activision-Blizzard. Its annual releases regularly become major entertainment events, while Black Ops 6 was described as the biggest launch in franchise history.
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Pokemon
Pokemon’s video games alone had reached 489 million copies sold worldwide by March 2025. Add the trading cards, animated series, merchandise, movies, and decades of recognition, and Pokemon’s overall cultural footprint comfortably belongs in GTA VI territory.
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Fortnite
Fortnite became much more than a battle royale game. It reportedly passed 500 million registered players, while Epic’s enormous revenues demonstrate how effectively the platform monetizes its audience. Few modern games have achieved comparable mainstream penetration.
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Roblox
Roblox operates more like a gaming platform than one traditional game, but its scale is enormous. In 2025, Roblox reported 127 million average daily active users, $4.9 billion in revenue, and $6.8 billion in bookings.
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The Sims
The Sims might not generate the same headlines as GTA, but its longevity is extraordinary. Electronic Arts celebrated the franchise’s 25th anniversary in 2025 after more than 500 million lifetime players had experienced its virtual households.
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Mario Kart
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe alone has sold 71.53 million copies through June 2026, according to Nintendo. That makes this colorful racing game one of the industry’s biggest individual titles, with sales numbers that rival the most successful blockbusters.
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Wii Sports
Wii Sports became a worldwide phenomenon partly because Nintendo bundled it with many Wii consoles. That helped push lifetime sales to roughly 83 million copies, making it one of gaming’s most recognizable titles despite its remarkably simple concept.
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons passed 50 million copies sold by June 2026. Its pandemic-era popularity turned the cozy life simulator into a mainstream cultural phenomenon, making characters like Isabelle recognizable far beyond traditional gaming audiences.
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Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar already has another enormous success besides GTA. Red Dead Redemption 2 has surpassed 75 million units sold, according to Take-Two, making it one of the strongest-selling premium games ever released.
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim has enjoyed an unusually long commercial life since its 2011 release. By June 2023, it had surpassed 60 million copies sold, helped by multiple ports and rereleases that repeatedly introduced the RPG to new generations.
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy became one of gaming’s biggest surprises when it launched in 2023. By December 2025, Warner Bros. Games announced that the Harry Potter RPG had surpassed 40 million copies sold worldwide.
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PUBG
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds helped turn battle royale into a global gaming phenomenon. Krafton’s figures showed more than 75 million PC and console copies sold by 2021, alongside more than one billion mobile downloads.
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Elden Ring
Elden Ring doesn’t have GTA’s decades-long mainstream recognition, but its breakout was enormous. FromSoftware and Bandai Namco announced more than 30 million worldwide shipments and digital sales by April 2025, making it a modern blockbuster.
The post 15 Games Just As Big As GTA VI appeared first on Den of Geek.
