The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has officially surpassed 65 million units sold worldwide, a monumental achievement that places it among the top 10 best-selling video games in history. This sales figure positions the 2011 RPG alongside CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which also reported reaching the same milestone earlier this year.
Confirmation of Skyrim's sales success came from Todd Howard, head of Bethesda Game Studios. He revealed the figure following recent organizational changes at Xbox. Since its original release, Skyrim has been ported to a multitude of platforms, benefiting from continuous support through mods that have helped maintain its enduring appeal for over a decade.
Xbox executive Asha Sharma also highlighted that with its 65 million units sold, Skyrim now ranks as one of the all-time bestsellers. In addition to Skyrim's success, Fallout 4 has now sold over 35 million units, securing its place in the top 25 best-selling games. Bethesda's more recent title, Starfield, has attracted 17 million players, though specific sales figures were not provided. Sharma did note that Starfield is approaching one billion hours played by its player base.
Bethesda Game Studios is currently prioritizing the development of The Elder Scrolls VI. While announced in 2018, the sequel is reportedly at least two years away from release. Meanwhile, Fallout 5 has entered its pre-production phase.
Howard stated that The Elder Scrolls VI is the primary development focus for the studio. "The next chapter is on the way. We’re where we planned to be, loving how it looks, and playing it every day," he commented, acknowledging the long wait for fans.
In terms of broader sales context, Minecraft leads the pack as the best-selling video game of all time with an estimated 400 million units sold. Grand Theft Auto V follows with 230 million units sold, and Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2 has achieved 85 million units sold.