5 Games That Made the Most Money at Launch

Grand Theft Auto V

Games That Made Most Money At Launch

In terms of sales, Grand Theft Auto V really is in a league of its own. The game took in a staggering $800 million on its first day of release, and has since gone on to smash countless records. Most notably, the game was recently highlighted as the most lucrative entertainment product of all time, beating out not just its gaming competitors, but that of film, TV, books and music too. To date, the game is estimated to have earned over $6 billion in revenue, selling over 90 million copies worldwide.

The game’s continued success can likely be attributed to its frequently updated online component, GTA: Online. Through microtransactions, add-on packs and other new content, Rockstar has managed to keep the game’s revenue stream alive and well, even five years after release. It remains to be seen if any game has a chance of even coming close to Grand Theft Auto V in terms of sales, GTA VI perhaps?

Fallout 4

Games That Made Most Money At Launch

Bethesda has seen its fair share of record-selling products. Skyrim was narrowly beaten out on this list, but is completely left in the dust when compared to its sister game, Fallout 4. According to Fortune, the game took in an impressive $750 million over the first 24 hours on the market, confirming it as one of the fastest selling games of all time. Bethesda hasn’t announced any official sales figures since then, but Bethesda’s VP of Marketing and PR, Pete Hines commented that Fallout 4 was ‘the most successful game we’ve ever launched in our company’s history’ in an interview last year.

Fallout 4 was met with favorable reviews (here’s what we thought of it), and added in a host of new features, including fully-voiced dialogue options, base-building, and deep weapon customization options. Since launch, the game has received a slew of add-on content, including a major expansion called Far Harbor.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Games That Made Most Money At Launch

Since the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the Call of Duty series has never been able to replicate its success. With every game release, we see diminishing returns, though the trend was recently bucked by Call of Duty WWII, which almost doubled the launch figures of its predecessor Call of Duty: Infinite War. Call of Duty: Black Ops II saw an excellent day one performance, taking in $550 million worldwide. While the launch figures were definitely higher than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Black Ops II actually sits behind it at the number two spot in terms of lifetime sales.

The game follows on from the events of the first Black Ops, and is set in two different time periods; the 1980s and 2025. It tells a politically-charged tale of a future Cold War, and follows agents Alex Mason and Frank Woods. It’s the first in the series to feature a non-linear story-telling style, with there being multiple endings for players to experience. Call of Duty: Black Ops II was praised in this regard, and breathed new life into a franchise that was nine games deep at the time.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

Games That Made Most Money At Launch

The Call of Duty franchise is, predictably, a sales juggernaut. And while numbers have started to fall over the years, the series still pulls in a lot of money with every release. At the time Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 arrived on the scene, the Call of Duty series was still very much on the up-swing. Its launch figures crushed that of the previous title, Call of Duty: Black Ops. The game took $400 million in day one sales, a record at the time.

The game continued on where Modern Warfare 2 left off, with its campaign picking up right after the end of the last game.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Games That Made Most Money At Launch

When Call of Duty: Black Ops launched back in 2010, the game was declared the biggest entertainment launch in history. In its first 24 hours on the market, Black Ops earned $360 million ($412 million adjusted), and went on to take in over half a billion in five days. The game was a real high point for the franchise, with one of the best shooter campaigns of all time. It serves as a sequel to Call of Duty: World at War, and is set in the 1960s during the Cold War.

When it released, Cuba condemned the game, due to its early mission in which the player attempts to assassinate a young Fidel Castro. Call of Duty: Black Ops also featured its own take on the Nazi Zombie mode made popular in its predecessor. In it, players took control of one of four political figures, including  John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro. The team had to defend the Pentagon from a zombie attack.