The best-selling videogame of all time is Minecraft, which was confirmed to have surpassed 300 million in sales by publisher Microsoft on 15 October 2023.
Minecraft was originally coded by Swedish software developer Markus "Notch" Persson, who released a rough "alpha" build on 17 May 2009 and – in light of the game's fast-rising popularity – switched to a paid-for commercial release (under the company name Mojang Specifications) on 13 June of that year. Persson stepped away from day-to-day involvement with Minecraft in 2011 and resigned from Mojang (Sweden) – the company he founded – in 2014, not long after its sale to Microsoft was finalized.
Given its huge and devoted fanbase, it is perhaps not surprising that the gameplay of Minecraft has undergone few significant changes in the last decade. The most recent update was "Trails & Tales", which went live on 7 June 2023. This added various new environments and creatures (known as "mobs") as well as a new feature, buried ruins, which are seeded randomly in each newly created world.
It could be argued that Tetris, which has sold around 70 million physical copies as well 425 million digital downloads, is a higher selling game. However, there is no single build of Tetris. Instead, those half a billion sales are divided between numerous licensed variations on Alexey Pajitnov's original 1985 design.
A Monumental Milestone in Gaming History
Though videogames have a history dating back decades – the very first videogame appeared in 1952 – they didn’t begin to take off as an entertainment property powerhouse until commercial videogame cabinets took hold of arcades, starting in the early 1970s. Years later, in 2023, the best-selling videogame in history was confirmed to have sold 300 million units. Its influence on gaming culture and game design has been huge in the years since it released.
Today, videogames are a mainstay of home entertainment, with 1 in 5 consumers around the whole world owning or having access to a videogame console. In 2023 the global games market generated $183.9 billion in revenue, compared to $28.6 billion for the global recorded music industry.
No surprise, then, that the best-selling videogame was able to sell so many copies. It’s instantly recognisable to players of all ages, all over the world. and start a franchise that now includes spin-off games, toys, books, animations, and even a Hollywood movie – and it achieved all this in just over a decade, because the best-selling video game didn’t come out until 2011. Today, you could say it’s a building block of the videogame industry. Of course, the best-selling video game in history is Minecraft.
The Evolution of the Best-Selling Videogame
Minecraft was created by Markus Persson, inspired by a sandbox mining game by Zachtronics called Infiniminer (2009). Persson released the first commercial version on 17 May 2009, taking payments directly through his website via PayPal.
Over the next few years released new builds with additional features, including animal mobs and tools, with the first animal mob in Minecraft being the pig. Due to Minecraft’s success, he incorporated Mojang Studios as a developer in 2010, and a 1.0 version of Minecraft was released in 2011. Persson quit as lead developer of the game soon afterwards, and in 2014 Microsoft, the company behind Windows and the Xbox console, announced it was buying Mojang and the Minecraft intellectual property for $2.5 billion.
Minecraft’s success has been partly because it has kept up a regular update schedule, which means there are continual improvements and refreshes to the game. Since the 1.0 version launched, Minecraft has had 21 updates, with the most recent, Tricky Trials, landing on 13 June 2024. This added plenty of new blocks, but notably brought Trial Chambers to Minecraft, large underground chambers that provide players with combat challenges.
Why Minecraft Became the Best-Selling Game of All Time
Minecraft has many features that contributed to its success, and made it very popular very quickly. The basics of Minecraft are very simple and easy to understand, meaning plyers can quickly hit the goal of building their first home in Minecraft. The process of collecting resources, and the whole world being made of cubes, makes the game very accessible. Minecraft is playable on very basic hardware, and is now available on mobile devices, so the buy-in cost is comparatively low. The smallest version of Minecraft has a file size of just 2.52kb,
The base-level simplicity of Minecraft also makes it very easy for players to make their own mods for the game, adding different animations and lighting, or streamlining the inventory and controls to players’ own liking.
From there Minecraft provides a canvas for creativity. Players can replicate the cities from their favourite TV shows, build castles in the sky or deep dungeons, and even, using an in-game resource called Redstone, make rudimentary working computers, inside Minecraft itself, with the first working computer circuit in Minecraft being made by a user called “theinternetftw” in 2010. The scale of some Minecraft creations is literally global, as the largest Minecraft project is an attempt to build the Earth at 1:1 scale.
Additionally, Minecraft allows people to play and create together, making Minecraft a social experience. Persson demonstrated the first Minecraft multiplayer server on May 31 2009, just two weeks after launching the first version of Minecraft.
The digital distribution model adopted by Mojang initially also made Minecraft more globally accessible, as players didn’t have to go to physically buy it from a shop to play it. After Mojang was acquired by Microsoft, Minecraft came to global prominence and is now part of Microsoft’s digital subscription service Game Pass. Game Pass has 34 million subscribers, all of whom can download and play Minecraft for ‘free’ as part of their subscription plan.
Cultural Impact and Legacy of Minecraft
In the years since its release, Minecraft has grown into a global phenomenon, which helps maintain its status as the best-selling videogame of all time.
Minecraft has spawned multiple spin-offs, including the episodic adventure game Minecraft: Story Mode and dungeon crawler Minecraft Dungeon. There’s also a lot of Minecraft merchandise, such as annuals, costumes, and replicas of tools and blocks in game. In a sign of its wide-reaching influence, Minecraft became the first videogame to inspire an official LEGO set. In 2017 the Playhouse Theatre in Derry, Northern Ireland, put on the first Minecraft theatrical production with Playcraft Live.
Minecraft is also used for educational purposes. In 2013 Viktor Rydberg Secondary School in Sweden began delivering compulsory classes in Minecraft, aimed at teaching students concepts like engineering and water and electricity grids. Minecraft has a version specifically to be licensed by schools, MinecraftEdu, and as of 2016 over 6000 schools were using it.
And that’s just the official Minecraft content. The community for the game have been even more creative in producing unofficial Minecraft fan content. In 2014 Ryan Carter (Canada) made the first Minecraft-controlled Christmas tree.
Minecraft’s enduring player community is a large part of what has helped Minecraft become the best-selling videogame of all time. Community has been a big driver of Minecraft’s popularity, with the first official Minecraft gathering taking place in August 2010. In 2016 Minefaire, taking place in Oakes, Pennsylvania, sold 12,140 tickets, and set the record for the largest convention for a single videogame.
Key Features That MakeMinecraftStand Out
- Minecraft is playable on many different platforms, with cross-platform play, making it widely accessible
- Regular updates and added content mean there are always new features to attract new players
- The mechanics are easy to pick up and allow players to engage in large creative projects with ease
- Robust multiplayer has been implemented from the start, creating a naturally expanding community
- The relative simplicity of the basic models allow for a large modding and customisation culture
A Game That Stands the Test of Time
Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time by a wide margin. The second best-selling game, Grand Theft Auto V (2013) is a clear 100 million units behind Minecraft. Selling 300 million copies of a game is no mean feat, but Minecraft achieves it by being an accessible game that works well on multiple platforms. It has wide digital distribution, and is suitable for all ages, while easy creativity but potential complexity to be found make it a popular game for adults and kids alike. And of course, the multiplayer element has fostered a strong community that grows exponentially.
Minecraft’s influence doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, as 2025 will see a live-action movie adaptation of the game, starring Jack Black. Minecraft has influenced many gamers growing up, and could see further spin-off games in different genres. There’s also a TV show in the early stages of production at Netflix.
Frequently Asked Questions
What video game has made the most money?
Dungeon Fighter Online (Nexon, 2005) is the most profitable videogame of all time having surpassed $22 billion in 2023.
What video game is worth the most money?
The most expensive videogame ever sold at online auction was a copy of Super Mario 64, which sold for $1,560,000 (£1,121,490 / €1,313,080) at an online auction hosted by Heritage Auctions (USA), on 11 July 2021.
What is the highest grossing video game franchise of all time?
The best-selling videogame franchise is Nintendo’s Mario franchise, which includes the Super Mario series.
What game sold the most copies in 24 hours?
The best-selling videogame in 24 hours is Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V.
What is the most downloaded game ever?
The most downloaded videogame is SYBO Games’ Subway Surfers, which has been downloaded over 4 billion times since launching in 2012
What is the most sold game console of all time?
The best-selling videogame console is Sony’s PlayStation 2.
