7 Highest-Grossing Games of All Time, Officially Ranked

The highest-grossing video games of all time aren’t necessarily the ones that have sold the most copies. Free-to-play titles often generate billions through microtransactions, while older arcade games continue earning money decades after their release. From PUBG and Fortnite to arcade classics such as Space Invaders and Pac-Man, these games have made extraordinary amounts of money through different business models, and we have ranked seven of the industry’s biggest money-makers.

7 PUBG

Estimated Gross Revenue: $17.8 Billion

Released in 2017, PUBG: Battlegrounds helped turn battle royale games into a mainstream phenomenon. Its premise was straightforward: drop a large group of players onto an island, search for weapons and equipment, and survive until only one player or squad remains.

The game initially built its reputation through paid PC access before expanding to consoles and adopting a free-to-play model on PC and consoles. Its mobile counterpart brought the formula to an even larger audience, particularly across Asian markets. Its gross revenue consists mainly of cosmetic items and premium content that have helped sustain its earnings long after its initial release. Furthermore, its success shows how competitive multiplayer games can remain commercially relevant when players have reasons to return season after season.

6 Honor of Kings

Estimated Gross Revenue: $18.6 Billion

While mobile gaming is often associated with casual puzzle titles, Honor of Kings demonstrates the enormous earning potential of competitive mobile games. Developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Tencent, the MOBA launched in China in 2015.

Matches in this game revolve around two teams battling across a map as they choose heroes with different abilities and work together to destroy the opposing team’s base. The relatively short match format makes it suitable for mobile play, while its strategic depth gives dedicated players plenty to master.

Its revenue comes largely from its enormous Chinese audience and in-game purchases. Character cosmetics and other digital items help provide recurring revenue without requiring every player to buy the game upfront.

5 Fortnite

Estimated Gross Revenue: $20 Billion

Few modern games have managed to remain as visible across the gaming culture and popular culture as Fortnite. It was launched in 2017, and its free-to-play battle royale mode quickly became a major hit.

The easy-to-learn formula of collecting weapons, building structures, and surviving against other players helped establish its initial popularity, with Epic Games eventually expanding the game with live events along with seasonal content and, most importantly, its crossover characters.

The game’s revenue is derived from a business model built directly around cosmetic purchases and Battle Passes, all to be bought with a virtual in-game currency. Players are free to compete without paying, but those who want character skins and emotes are given plenty of reasons and opportunities to spend.

4 Street Fighter II

Estimated Gross Revenue: $10.8 billion, or $22 billion when adjusted for inflation.

Released in 1991, Street Fighter II helped establish the modern fighting game genre. Everything from its memorable characters to the competitive one-on-one battles made it a staple of arcades worldwide.

The game gave players a roster of fighters with different strengths and techniques, which meant learning to execute moves was only part of the challenge, and anticipating an opponent’s actions and punishing mistakes helped make repeated matches rewarding.

3 Dungeon Fighter Online

Estimated Gross Revenue: $22 Billion

Dungeon Fighter Online might be a surprising entry on this list, but its financial performance puts it among the most successful games ever made. Developed by Neople and released in 2005, this online action RPG combines side-scrolling combat with role-playing progression.

Players select character classes and fight groups of enemies while improving their abilities and collecting equipment. Its arcade-style combat is easy to understand, while its progression systems provide long-term goals for dedicated players.

Much of its commercial success comes from Asian markets, particularly in South Korea and China, where it has a substantial audience. The game shows just how relevant long-running online games can stay with regular content updates and different character development routes made available to players,

2 Pac-Man

Estimated Gross Revenue: $12.8 Billion, or $33 Billion when adjusted for inflation.

First released in 1980, Pac-Man became one of gaming’s earliest global icons. Players guide a yellow character through a maze, eating pellets while avoiding four ghosts. Moreover, power pellets temporarily reverse the chase, allowing Pac-Man to turn the tables on his pursuers.

Its rules are simple, but mastering enemy patterns and clearing increasingly difficult stages demands quick decisions. The game also helped broaden the appeal of arcades beyond the space-shooting titles that dominated the era. Its earnings are associated with arcade play and the game’s wider commercial history across subsequent releases and platforms.

1 Space Invaders

Estimated Gross Revenue: $14 Billion, or $41 Billion

Taking the top spot is Space Invaders, Taito’s influential 1978 arcade shooter. Players control a small cannon at the bottom of the screen, firing at descending formations of alien invaders while avoiding their attacks. Its escalating pace creates tension through a surprisingly simple mechanic: as the number of enemies decreases, their movement becomes faster. The result is an arcade experience built around reflexes and the pursuit of a higher score.

What’s the highest-grossing game that surprised you the most, and which title do you think deserves the number one spot?