Rockstar's western epic Red Dead Redemption 2 has achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing Wii Sports to become the third best-selling video game of all time. According to Take-Two's latest financial report for Q4 2026, CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed that the game experienced its 'highest level of annual unit sales since its launch year' during the 2026 fiscal year, with over 85 million units sold to date.
New Sales Record
This achievement pushes Red Dead Redemption 2 ahead of Wii Sports, which sold 82.9 million copies, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which stands at 79.54 million units. While it remains unlikely to catch up to the top two—Minecraft and GTA 5, with 230 million copies sold worldwide—the sales surge is impressive, especially considering the game launched eight years ago on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Resilience of Rockstar Titles
Zelnick commented on the enduring appeal of Rockstar's titles, stating that games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA Online 'have proven to be vastly more resilient than anyone expected, and I think that's a quality of the work that Rockstar has done.' The sustained sales suggest strong ongoing demand, likely bolstered by discounts on platforms like Steam and the PlayStation Store, as well as a 2025 update for Red Dead Online that added new missions and zombie content.
Current-Gen Update and Sequel Prospects
The strong sales performance makes a current-generation update for Red Dead Redemption 2 seem inevitable. Take-Two has indicated plans to launch one 'platform extension' in the current fiscal year, which could be the long-rumored PS5 and Xbox Series X|S port. Additionally, a sequel appears more plausible. Arthur Morgan voice actor Roger Clark previously stated it would be 'crazy not to do another one,' though Rockstar has not officially announced anything.
Financial Outlook
Despite the positive sales news, Take-Two's stock dropped over 4% after the earnings call due to a conservative forecast for the 2027 fiscal year. The company projected earnings between $8 billion and $8.2 billion, below Wall Street expectations of $9.13 billion. However, analysts note that such lowball predictions are common among video game publishers, including Nintendo, to set achievable targets that can be exceeded.
Take-Two has reaffirmed GTA 6's launch date of November 19, and the company continues to benefit from the enduring success of its flagship franchises.
