This is also news if we think about the name at stake: Grand Theft Auto V.
The Rockstar Games blockbuster was released in September 2013 on PS3 and Xbox 360, to then be revived over the years on PS4, Xbox One, PC and, later this year, also on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S.
Why this very long stay on the market? If you follow the story of GTA 5, you know perfectly well what it is all about. Thanks to the explosion of the GTA Online mode, still today among the most played experiences every year by players from all over the world, Rockstar Games has decided to greatly extend the life of the fifth chapter of its famous seriesthus taking the time to think about GTA 6.
Although this has been going on for over 7 years, GTA 5 continues to be a phenomenonafter all we are talking about the third best-selling video game ever (do you know which games have been able to overcome it?) with over 135 million copies.
Consistently on the bestseller list, GTA 5 has overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, rivals such as FIFA, Call of Duty, God of War, Horizon: Zero Dawn, even the recent Cyberpunk 2077 that dominated the charts for a while. However, Grand Theft Auto has always been there, hanging out among the high positions of the weekly and annual sales charts. At least until today.
Mat Piscatella of NPD has released the sales data of video games in the United States, proposing the list of the 20 best-selling titles during 2020. Surprise of surprises, after 7 years GTA 5 is not part of this ranking.
If you are curious, here is the complete list of the 20 best-selling video games of 2020 in the USA:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Madden NFL 21
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- The Last of Us Part 2
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Marvel’s Avengers
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- NBA 2K21
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- FIFA 21
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
- MLB: The Show 20
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
A tired phase for GTA 5 and GTA Online? It is possible, after all, as we have just mentioned, we are talking about a video game that was launched on the market almost 7 and a half years ago, and which, like many others, could have started on the avenue of the sunset. However, we are sure that the trend could soon be reversed, if we think precisely that in the course of 2021 GTA 5 will be re-proposed remastered, improved and expanded on next generation consoles.
There is also a further detail to consider, namely that the NPD ranking refers only to the sales of physical copies of GTA V. Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the series, does not provide the sales data of the digital copies, and therefore we cannot know if the ranking could change if we consider global sales.
What do you think? Do you think this absence from the bestseller list, for the first time in its history, is the symptom of the waning phase of GTA V?
US NPD SW – 2020 Top 20 Sellers pic.twitter.com/7B0sreCkLV
– Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) January 15, 2021
Thanks for reading!
