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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Officially Joins The Witcher 3 on 65 Million Units Sold
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has officially sold 65 million copies since its 2011 release, matching The Witcher 3 and placing it among the ten best-selling video games ever made. The milestone was confirmed by Bethesda Game Studios head Todd Howard as part of a wider update on the company's game lineup following recent layoffs at Xbox, and comes as Bethesda continues work on the long-awaited sequel, The Elder Scrolls VI.
Skyrim sold more than 3.5 million units in its first 48 hours in 2011 and has since been released on nearly every gaming platform, with years of fan-made mods helping sustain its popularity. Xbox boss Asha Sharma also revealed that Fallout 4 has passed 35 million units sold, entering the top 25 best-sellers, while Starfield is nearing one billion hours played, though no sales figure was given. Howard confirmed The Elder Scrolls VI remains Bethesda's primary focus, with Fallout 5 now in pre-production; for context, Minecraft leads all-time sales with 400 million units, ahead of GTA 6 on 230 million and Red Dead Redemption 2 on 85 million.
In short
- Skyrim hits 65 million units sold, joining The Witcher 3
- Fallout 4 passes 35 million; Starfield nears 1 billion hours played
- Elder Scrolls VI remains Bethesda's top priority; Fallout 5 in pre-production
Explained simply
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a fantasy role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and released in 2011. In the game, players explore a vast world set in the snow-covered realm of Skyrim, where they complete quests, learn magic, and battle creatures including dragons.
Since its original release, Skyrim has been ported to numerous gaming platforms, from various consoles to handheld devices and virtual reality systems. The game has remained popular through a dedicated player community who create thousands of user-made modifications, or mods, that add new features and content.
Within the video game industry, sales figures are tracked as measures of commercial success and cultural impact. Only a small number of games ever achieve sales in the tens of millions, placing such milestones among the industry's most significant commercial achievements.