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Skyrim and The Witcher 3 have both sold 65 million copies, but CD Projekt Red got there faster than Bethesda
Skyrim and The Witcher 3 have each reached sales of 65 million copies, a milestone that underlines the extraordinary and enduring commercial success of both role-playing games years after their original releases. However, CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3 achieved this figure in a shorter period than Bethesda's Skyrim, highlighting the strength of its continued sales through re-releases, ports and word-of-mouth popularity even as it faces stiffer competition in the RPG market.
Skyrim was originally released in 2011 and has since been re-released on multiple platforms, including a Special Edition and Anniversary Edition, helping it rack up sales over roughly a decade and a half. The Witcher 3, launched in 2015, reached the same 65 million sales mark in less time, aided by strong ports to newer consoles, a Netflix adaptation boosting interest in the franchise, and next-gen updates. The comparison illustrates how CD Projekt Red has managed to sustain and accelerate sales momentum more quickly than Bethesda did with its flagship title.
In short
- Skyrim and The Witcher 3 have both sold 65 million copies each.
- CD Projekt Red hit that milestone faster than Bethesda did.
- Both games continue selling strongly years after their original release.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Witcher 3's faster ascent to 65 million copies represents genuine commercial excellence, achieved in a far more competitive RPG market than Skyrim faced in 2011. CD Projekt Red executed superior strategic decisions—leveraging ports to new platforms, capitalising on the Netflix adaptation's cultural momentum, and maintaining engagement through quality updates. This demonstrates stronger market positioning and more sustained word-of-mouth appeal than Bethesda achieved in equivalent time.
The case against
Whilst The Witcher 3 reached the milestone faster, Skyrim's achievement across fifteen years demonstrates arguably more impressive commercial endurance by remaining viable through multiple technological generations and an increasingly saturated market. The comparison itself risks obscuring different types of success: Skyrim proved exceptional longevity where The Witcher 3 achieved rapid velocity. Both accomplishments merit recognition without needing to declare one definitively superior through a single timeline metric.
Explained simply
Skyrim, released by Bethesda in 2011, is a fantasy role-playing game where players explore a vast open world and shape their own stories through choices and exploration. The Witcher 3, released by CD Projekt Red in 2015, is another fantasy role-playing game based on a series of novels, known for its storytelling and character development.
Reaching sales of 65 million copies is an extraordinarily rare achievement in the video game industry that places both titles among the best-selling games ever made. Both have maintained this level of commercial success years after their original release, suggesting they have genuine lasting appeal to players.
The sustained sales of these games reflect how continued re-releases across multiple gaming platforms, along with adaptations into other media such as television, can maintain commercial momentum over time. Most video games fall out of public consciousness relatively quickly, making this kind of long-term commercial success remarkable.