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Resident Evil 2 surpasses RE5 as series’ best-selling game
Capcom's latest quarterly earnings report shows that Resident Evil 2's 2019 remake has become the Resident Evil series' best-selling title, overtaking Resident Evil 5. This marks a notable shift in the franchise's history, as Resident Evil 5 had long held the top spot but is often viewed by fans as the point where the series leaned too heavily into action over horror, whereas Resident Evil 2's remake is praised for blending modern gameplay with the series' slower, exploration-focused roots.
Resident Evil 2 has now sold 19.75 million copies, edging past Resident Evil 5's 19.01 million. Resident Evil titles dominated Capcom's top ten unit sales for the quarter, taking seven of the ten places, with new release Pragmata topping the chart at 2.51 million and the Resident Evil 4 remake close behind at 2.43 million. The Resident Evil franchise remains Capcom's best-selling series overall with 213 million units sold, well ahead of Monster Hunter (131 million) and Street Fighter (60 million), and the company has more Resident Evil content coming soon, including a film in September and the Code: Veronica remake next year.
In short
- Resident Evil 2 remake overtakes Resident Evil 5 as top-selling RE game
- RE2 has sold 19.75 million copies versus RE5's 19.01 million
- Resident Evil remains Capcom's best-selling franchise at 213 million units
Explained simply
Resident Evil is a long-running video game franchise created by Capcom that pioneered the survival horror genre. It has remained one of the most commercially successful game series for nearly three decades.
Resident Evil 2 is a 2019 remake of the original 1998 sequel. Resident Evil 5 came out in 2009 and was long the franchise's best-selling title. The two games represent different creative approaches: RE2 emphasises exploration and survival elements, whilst RE5 is more action-focused.
When one game in a franchise overtakes another in sales, it often signals a shift in what players want from that series. Franchise leaders typically use such information to guide decisions about future games and their overall direction.
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