Minecraft has sold almost twice as much as GTA 5 but can it keep ahead of GTA 6?

| Games News Writer Published September 28, 2026 1:22pm Updated September 28, 2026 1:23pm Adding a new dimension (Microsoft) As Xbox announces Minecraft’s first new dimension in 15 years, new sales figures have increased its lead as the best-selling game ever. Of all the new gaming franchises which have emerged this century, Minecraft is easily the biggest in terms of its impact on popular culture. The sandbox game is a shared experience for almost all children growing up today, with tons of merchandise, annual conventions, spin-offs, and a massively successful Hollywood blockbuster starring Jack Black. Its dominance only looks set to grow, with a new Minecraft World theme park opening in London next year. If you needed a reminder of its overwhelming success, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has revealed Minecraft has officially surpassed 425 million copies sold since it launched in 2011. This is up from the 350 million figure reported by developer Mojang in April 2025. While it was already the best-selling game of all time, ahead of GTA 5’s 230 million copies sold, this new figure not only cements that lead, but according to other comments from Sharma, makes it impossible to imagine any game ever catching it. The only one that seems to have a chance is GTA 6, which is expected to be the biggest entertainment launch of all time when it arrives on November 19. However, considering Minecraft is still selling at this pace 15 years later, it is likely insurmountable at this point. Expert, exclusive gaming analysis Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. According to Sharma over 300,000 people play Minecraft ‘for the first time on an average day’. It’s an impressive if somewhat loose statistic, but it’s another sign that the momentum behind Minecraft is far from slowing down. According to Wikipedia, Tetris is technically the best-selling game ever, with over 520 million copies sold worldwide, but this figure includes the entire Tetris franchise and not just one singular title – so that seems like cheating. You can check out the top 10 best selling games ever, minus Tetris, at the bottom of this page. The one game which could also climb this list soon is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, following the launch of the remastered version later this week. At thevery least it should pull ahead of arch-rival Skyrim. As for the future of Minecraft, a new dimension called The Sift is set to arrive in Minecraft’s Java and Bedrock editions next year. This is the game’s first new dimension in 15 years, with the last being The End in October 2011, and the fourth overall after The Nether and Overworld. The Sift will make its debut in Minecraft Dungeons 2, which launches tomorrow (September 29). The new dimension will feature new enemy types, companions, and biomes, including Meadows and Carapace. Top 10 best-selling games ever Minecraft (425m) GTA 5 (230m) Red Dead Redemption 2 (87m) Wii Sports (82.9m) Mario Kart 8/Deluxe (79.9m) PUBG: Battlegrounds (75m) Terraria (70m) The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim (65m) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (65m) Super Mario Bros. (58m) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. Arrow MORE: L.A. Noire 2 is Rockstar’s next game after GTA 6 claims source Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: Is the next Super Mario game open world? Arrow MORE: Games companies should try to appeal more to older people – Reader’s Feature GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.