This is a listing of the best-selling video games in the United States annually by units sold since 1980, with sales figures from The NPD Group since 1994.[1] The United States is a very competitive market for video game developers. Games from different developers around the world have entered the annual lists of top ten best-selling games in the United States. The most successful developers are mostly from Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom and Sweden.
Among the 41 reported annual top-sellers between 1980 and 2022, thirteen were published by Nintendo, twelve by Activision Blizzard, four each by Atari and Take-Two Interactive, three by Electronic Arts, and two each by Sega and Acclaim Entertainment. Video game publishers Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts managed to enter the list of ten best-selling games every single year with at least one of their games for the last fifteen years in a row. Of the twelve best-selling games released in the last thirteen years, eleven were from Call of Duty franchise and published by Activision Blizzard. Madden NFL and the Call of Duty series have been on the annual top ten best-sellers list twelve times over the last twelve years. Call of Duty has been the best-selling video game series in the US for the past 15 years.
The NPD lists do not encompass the industry as a whole, as some publishers, developers, and the majority of indie developers do not share data with NPD. Some video games companies also do not share physical games sales and some digital storefront sales such as Steam and Battle.net. Companies that share data with NPD include: Activision Blizzard, Atlus, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Embracer Group, Konami, Krafton, Marvelous, Microsoft Gaming, NCSoft, Sega, Sony, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Games, and Wizard of the Coast.
| Year | Top-selling title | Developer | Publisher | Platform | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Space Invaders | Taito | Atari | Atari VCS | 1,318,655 | [2] [3] |
| 1981 | 2,964,137 | |||||
| 1982 | Pac-Man | Namco, Atari | 7,271,844 | |||
| 1983 | Ms. Pac-Man | GCC, Midway | 1,963,078 | |||
| 1986 | Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo R&D4 | Nintendo | NES | 1,000,000+ | [4] |
| 1987 | The Legend of Zelda | 2,000,000 | [5] [6] | |||
| 1988 | Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt | Nintendo | 2,000,000+ | [7] [8] | ||
| 1989 | Unknown | [9] | ||||
| 1990 | Super Mario Bros. 3 | Nintendo R&D4 | 8,000,000 | [10] [11] | ||
| 1991 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic Team | Sega | Genesis | 1,000,000+ | [12] |
| 1992 | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Sega | 2,000,000 | [13] | ||
| 1993 | Mortal Kombat | Midway | Acclaim | 1,000,000+ | [14] | |
| 1994 | Donkey Kong Country | Rare | Nintendo | SNES | 2,057,006 | [15] [16] |
| 1995 | 1,000,000+ | [17] [18] | ||||
| 1996 | Super Mario 64 | Nintendo EAD | N64 | 2,000,000+ | [19] [20] | |
| 1997 | Mario Kart 64 | 1,500,000+ | [21] |
was the best-selling game of 1998.
| 1. | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | ||
| 2. | GoldenEye 007 | Rare | ||
| 3. | WWF Warzone | Iguana West, Probe Entertainment | Acclaim Entertainment | |
| 4. | NFL Blitz '99 | Midway Games | Midway Games | |
| 5. | WCW/NWO Revenge | Asmik Ace Entertainment, AKI Corporation | THQ | |
| 6. | Resident Evil 2 | Capcom | Capcom | |
| 7. | Banjo-Kazooie | Rare | Nintendo | |
| 8. | Gran Turismo | Japan Studio | Sony Computer Entertainment | |
| 9. | Madden NFL 99 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 10. | Super Mario 64 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo |
Donkey Kong 64 was the best-selling game of 1999. Seven of the 10 best-selling games in the US in 1998 were published by Nintendo.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Donkey Kong 64 | Rare | Nintendo | |
| 2. | Pokémon Red/Blue | Game Freak | ||
| 3. | Pokémon Snap | HAL Laboratory | ||
| 4. | Super Smash Bros. | |||
| 5. | WWF Attitude | Acclaim Studios Salt Lake City | Acclaim Entertainment | |
| 6. | Pokémon Pinball | Jupiter, HAL Laboratory | Nintendo | |
| 7. | Nintendo EAD | |||
| 8. | Mario Party | Hudson Soft | ||
| 9. | Driver | Reflections Interactive | GT Interactive | |
| 10 | Final Fantasy VIII | Square | Square Electronic Arts |
Pokémon Gold/Silver was the best-selling game of 2000.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pokémon Gold/Silver | Game Freak | Nintendo | |
| 2. | Pokémon Stadium | Nintendo EAD | ||
| 3. | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater | Neversoft | Activision | |
| 4. | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 | |||
| 5. | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | ||
| 6. | Madden NFL 2001 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 7. | The Sims | Maxis | ||
| 8. | Diablo II | Blizzard North | Blizzard Entertainment | |
| 9. | Pokémon Yellow | Game Freak | Nintendo | |
| 10 | Perfect Dark | Rare | Rare |
Madden NFL 2002 was the best-selling game of 2001.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Madden NFL 2002 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts |
| 2. | Grand Theft Auto III | DMA Design | Rockstar Games |
| 3. | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 | Neversoft | Activision |
| 4. | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 | ||
| 5. | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | Argonaut Games | Electronic Arts |
| 6. | Konami Computer Entertainment Japan | Konami | |
| 7. | Polyphony Digital | Sony Computer Entertainment | |
| 8. | The Sims | Maxis | Electronic Arts |
| 9. | Pokémon Gold/Silver | Game Freak | Nintendo |
| 10 | Pokémon Stadium 2 | Nintendo EAD |
was the best-selling game of 2002. Five of the 10 best-selling games in the US in 2002 were published by Electronic Arts.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rockstar North | Rockstar Games | |
| 2. | Madden NFL 2003 | EA Tiburon, Budcat Creations | Electronic Arts |
| 3. | Grand Theft Auto III | DMA Design | Rockstar Games |
| 4. | Spider-Man | Treyarch | Activision |
| 5. | EA Los Angeles | Electronic Arts | |
| 6. | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | EA UK | |
| 7. | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 | Neversoft | Activision |
| 8. | Kingdom Hearts | Square | Square Electronic Arts |
| 9. | NCAA Football 2003 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts |
| 10. | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Stormfront Studios |
Madden NFL 2004 was the best-selling game of 2003.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Madden NFL 2004 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 2. | EA Black Box | |||
| 3. | Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire | Game Freak | Nintendo | |
| 4. | Enter the Matrix | Shiny Entertainment | Infogrames | |
| 5. | Tony Hawk's Underground | Neversoft | Activision | |
| 6. | The Sims | Maxis | Electronic Arts | |
| 7. | Luxoflux | Activision | ||
| 8. | EA Los Angeles | Electronic Arts | ||
| 9. | NCAA Football 2004 | EA Tiburon | ||
| 10 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo |
was the best-selling game of 2004.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rockstar North | Rockstar Games | |
| 2. | Halo 2 | Bungie | Microsoft Game Studios |
| 3. | Madden NFL 2005 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts |
| 4. | EA Black Box | ||
| 5. | Spider-Man 2 | Treyarch | Activision |
| 6. | Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen | Game Freak | Nintendo |
| 7. | NCAA Football 2005 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts |
| 8. | Star Wars: Battlefront | Pandemic Studios | LucasArts |
| 9. | NBA Live 2005 | EA Canada | Electronic Arts |
| 10 | MVP Baseball 2004 |
Madden NFL 06 was the best-selling game of 2005.
Madden NFL 07 was the best-selling game of 2006.
Halo 3 was the best-selling game of 2007.[22]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Halo 3 | Bungie | Microsoft Game Studios | 4,820,000 | |
| 2. | Wii Play | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 4,120,000 | |
| 3. | Infinity Ward | Activision | 3,040,000 | ||
| 4. | Neversoft | 2,720,000 | |||
| 5. | Super Mario Galaxy | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 2,520,000 | |
| 6. | Pokémon Diamond | Game Freak | 2,480,000 | ||
| 7. | Madden NFL 08 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | 1,900,000 | |
| 8. | Guitar Hero II | Harmonix | Activision | 1,890,000 | |
| 9. | Assassin's Creed | Ubisoft Montreal | Ubisoft | 1,870,000 | |
| 10. | Mario Party 8 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 1,820,000 |
Wii Play was the best-selling game of 2008.[23] [24]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wii Play | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 5,280,000 | |
| 2. | Mario Kart Wii | 5,000,000 | |||
| 3. | Wii Fit | 4,530,000 | |||
| 4. | Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Sora Ltd, Game Arts | 4,170,000 | ||
| 5. | Grand Theft Auto IV | Rockstar North | Take-Two Interactive | 3,290,000 | |
| 6. | Treyarch | Activision Blizzard | 2,750,000 | ||
| 7. | Gears of War 2 | Epic Games | Xbox Game Studios | 2,310,000 | |
| 8. | Grand Theft Auto IV | Rockstar North | Take-Two Interactive | 1,890,000 | |
| 9. | Madden NFL 09 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | 1,870,000 | |
| 10. | Mario Kart DS | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 1,650,000 |
was the best-selling game of 2009.[25] [26] [27]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Infinity Ward | Activision Blizzard | |||
| 2. | Wii Sports Resort | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | 4,220,000+ | |
| 3. | New Super Mario Bros. Wii | ||||
| 4. | Wii Fit | 3,500,000+ | |||
| 5. | Wii Fit Plus | 3,136,100+ | |||
| 6. | Mario Kart Wii | ||||
| 7. | Wii Play | ||||
| 8. | Infinity Ward | Activision Blizzard | |||
| 9. | Bungie | Microsoft Game Studios | 2,000,000+ | ||
| 10. | Pokémon Platinum | Game Freak | Nintendo | 1,900,000+ |
was the best-selling game of 2010.[28]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Treyarch | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 2. | Madden NFL 11 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 3. | Bungie | Microsoft Game Studios | ||
| 4. | New Super Mario Bros. Wii | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | |
| 5. | Red Dead Redemption | Rockstar San Diego | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 6. | Wii Fit Plus | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | |
| 7. | Just Dance 2 | Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Millan | Ubisoft | |
| 8. | Infinity Ward | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 9. | Ubisoft Montreal | Ubisoft | ||
| 10. | NBA 2K11 | Visual Concepts | Take-Two Interactive |
was the best-selling game of 2011, followed by and Madden NFL 12.
| 1. | Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 2. | Bethesda Game Studios | Bethesda Softworks | ||
| 3. | Madden NFL 12 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 4. | Battlefield 3 | DICE | ||
| 5. | Treyarch | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 6. | Just Dance 3 | Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Montreal | Ubisoft | |
| 7. | Gears of War 3 | Epic Games | Microsoft Studios | |
| 8. | Rocksteady Studios | Warner Bros. Games | ||
| 9. | Pokémon Black/White | Game Freak | Nintendo | |
| 10. | Assassin's Creed Revelations | Ubisoft Montreal | Ubisoft |
was the best-selling game of 2012.[29]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Treyarch | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 2. | Madden NFL 13 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 3. | Halo 4 | 343 Industries | Microsoft Studios | |
| 4. | Assassin's Creed III | Ubisoft Montreal | Ubisoft | |
| 5. | Just Dance 4 | Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Milan | ||
| 6. | NBA 2K13 | Visual Concepts | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 7. | Borderlands 2 | Gearbox Software | ||
| 8. | Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 9. | Traveller's Tales | Warner Bros. Games | ||
| 10. | FIFA 13 | EA Vancouver | Electronic Arts |
Grand Theft Auto V was the best-selling game of 2013.[30] [31] The game became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history three days after its release.[32]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Grand Theft Auto V | Rockstar North | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 2. | Infinity Ward | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 3. | Madden NFL 25 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 4. | Battlefield 4 | DICE | ||
| 5. | Ubisoft Montreal | Ubisoft | ||
| 6. | NBA 2K14 | Visual Concepts | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 7. | Treyarch | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 8. | Just Dance 2014 | Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Millan | Ubisoft | |
| 9. | Minecraft | Mojang Studios | Mojang Studios | |
| 10. | Disney Infinity | Avalanche Software | Disney Interactive Studios |
The best-selling game of 2014 was .[33]
The best-selling game of 2015 was .[34]
The best-selling game of 2016 was . Among the top ten best-selling games in 2016, eight were multiplayer games and the other two had multiplayer modes. Among the ten titles, three were published by Activision Blizzard, three by Electronic Arts, two by Take-Two Interactive, and one each by Ubisoft and Square Enix.[35]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Infinity Ward | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 2. | Battlefield 1 | DICE | Electronic Arts | |
| 3. | Tom Clancy's The Division | Massive Entertainment | Ubisoft | |
| 4. | NBA 2K17 | Visual Concepts | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 5. | Madden NFL 17 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 6. | Grand Theft Auto V | Rockstar North | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 7. | Overwatch | Blizzard Entertainment | Activision Blizzard | |
| 8. | Treyarch | |||
| 9. | FIFA 17 | EA Vancouver, EA Romania | Electronic Arts | |
| 10. | Final Fantasy XV | Square Enix Business Division 2 | Square Enix |
The best-selling game of 2017 was , followed by NBA 2K18 and Destiny 2. PUBG is absent from the list due to PUBG Corporation not sharing sales data with the NPD. Nintendo also do not share digital sales data with the NPD, thus Nintendo games are under-represented.[36]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sledgehammer Games | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 2. | NBA 2K18 | Visual Concepts | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 3. | Destiny 2 | Bungie | Bungie | Digital sales incomplete |
| 4. | Madden NFL 18 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | |
| 5. | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included | |
| 6. | Grand Theft Auto V | Rockstar North | Take-Two Interactive | |
| 7. | Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands | Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Milan | Ubisoft | |
| 8. | Star Wars Battlefront II | DICE | Electronic Arts | Digital sales incomplete |
| 9. | Super Mario Odyssey | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
| 10. | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Digital sales not included |
Red Dead Redemption 2 was the best-selling game of 2018, Rockstar Games' first game in over 5 years.[37] For the first time since 2013, the best-selling game of the year wasn't a Call of Duty game.[38]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Red Dead Redemption 2 | Rockstar Games | Take-Two Interactive | ||
| 2. | Treyarch | Activision Blizzard | PC sales not included | ||
| 3. | NBA 2K19 | Visual Concepts | Take-Two Interactive | ||
| 4. | Madden NFL 19 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | PC sales not included | |
| 5. | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Bandai Namco Studios, Sora Ltd. | Nintendo | Digital sales not included | |
| 6. | Marvel's Spider-Man | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment | ||
| 7. | Far Cry 5 | Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Toronto | Ubisoft | ||
| 8. | God of War | Santa Monica Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment | ||
| 9. | Capcom | Capcom | |||
| 10. | Assassin's Creed Odyssey | Ubisoft Quebec | Ubisoft |
The best-selling game of 2019 was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.[39]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | Infinity Ward | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 2. | NBA 2K20 | Visual Concepts | Take-Two Interactive | ||
| 3. | Madden NFL 20 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | ||
| 4. | Borderlands 3 | Gearbox Software | Take-Two Interactive | ||
| 5. | Mortal Kombat 11 | NetherRealm Studios | |||
| 6. | Respawn Entertainment | Electronic Arts | |||
| 7. | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Bandai Namco Studios, Sora Ltd. | Nintendo | Digital sales not included | |
| 8. | Kingdom Hearts III | Square Enix Business Division 3 | Square Enix | ||
| 9. | Tom Clancy's The Division 2 | Massive Entertainment | Ubisoft | ||
| 10. | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
Top selling game of 2020 was , followed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and NBA 2K21.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Treyarch, Raven Software | Activision Blizzard | |||
| 2. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | Infinity Ward | |||
| 3. | NBA 2K21 | Visual Concepts | Take-Two Interactive | ||
| 4. | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included | ||
| 5. | Madden NFL 21 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | ||
| 6. | Assassin's Creed Valhalla | Ubisoft Montreal | Ubisoft | ||
| 7. | The Last of Us Part II | Naughty Dog | Sony Interactive Entertainment | ||
| 8. | Grand Theft Auto V | Rockstar North | Take-Two Interactive | ||
| 8. | Ghost of Tsushima | Sucker Punch | Sony Interactive Entertainment | ||
| 10. | Doom Eternal | id Software | Bethesda Softworks |
was the best-selling game of 2021.[40] Two of the top 10 best-selling games of 2021 were Activision Blizzard games.[41]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sledgehammer Games | Activision Blizzard | |||
| 2. | Treyarch, Raven Software | ||||
| 3. | Madden NFL 22 | EA Tiburon | Electronic Arts | ||
| 4. | Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl | ILCA | Nintendo | Digital sales not included | |
| 5. | Battlefield 2042 | DICE | Electronic Arts | ||
| 6. | Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment | ||
| 7. | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included | |
| 8. | Resident Evil Village | Capcom | Capcom | ||
| 9. | MLB The Show 21 | San Diego Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment, MLBAM | Digital sales incomplete | |
| 10. | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included |
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II from Activision Blizzard was the best-selling video game in the United States in 2022.[42] The game outperformed the previous record-holders for the series, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 from 2011 and Black Ops II from 2012.[43]
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II | Infinity Ward | Activision Blizzard | ||
| 2. | Elden Ring | FromSoftware | Bandai Namco | ||
| 3. | Madden NFL 23 | EA Orlando | Electronic Arts | ||
| 4. | God of War Ragnarök | Santa Monica Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment | ||
| 5. | Traveller's Tales | Warner Bros. Games | |||
| 6. | Pokémon Scarlet and Violet | Game Freak | Nintendo | Digital sales not included | |
| 7. | FIFA 23 | EA Vancouver, EA Romania | Electronic Arts | ||
| 8. | Game Freak | Nintendo | Digital sales not included | ||
| 9. | Horizon Forbidden West | Guerrilla Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment | ||
| 10. | MLB The Show 22 | San Diego Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment, MLBAM | Digital sales incomplete |
Hogwarts Legacy from Warner Bros. Games was the best-selling video game in the United States in 2023. For the first time in 15 years, the best-selling video game in the US was not a game from Activision or Rockstar Games. However, due to the NPD being unable to track Nintendo digital sales data, only physical sales are counted for .[44] The NPD is also unable to track Battle.net sales for Diablo IV. Call of Duty finished 2023 as the best-selling video game series in the US market for the 15th consecutive year.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Publisher | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hogwarts Legacy | Avalanche Software | Warner Bros. Games | |
| 2. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III | Sledgehammer Games | Activision Blizzard | |
| 3. | Madden NFL 24 | EA Orlando | Electronic Arts | |
| 4. | Marvel's Spider-Man 2 | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment | |
| 5. | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo | Digital sales not included | |
| 6. | Diablo IV | Blizzard Entertainment | Activision Blizzard | Battle.net sales not included |
| 7. | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II | Infinity Ward | ||
| 8. | Mortal Kombat 1 | NetherRealm Studios | Warner Bros. Games | |
| 9. | Respawn Entertainment | Electronic Arts | ||
| 10. | EA Sports FC 24 | EA Vancouver, EA Romania |
EA Sports College Football 25 is the best-selling game of 2024 as of August.[45]