Due to the amount of buzz and hype surrounding Elden Ring, it comes as no surprise that Elden Ring has had an incredible launch. Recently, Tokyo-based FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment posted a press release that Elden Ring has already sold 12 million copies worldwide, with 1 million copies sold in Japan. Not only does this mark Elden Ring the most successful Soulsborne launch, but also the most successful Soulsborne game in general.
For context, the next most popular Soulsborne game developed by FromSoftware is Dark Souls III. In May of 2020, FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment announced that the Dark Souls Series (I, II, III, and Remastered) had sold over 27 million copies worldwide, with Dark Souls III selling over 10 million copies. While impressive, the 10 million copies sold achievement was 4 years after Dark Souls III‘s 2016 launch. After the first month from launch, Dark Souls III had only sold 3 million copies worldwide.
Furthermore, other FromSoftware games similar to the Dark Souls series, like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Bloodborne, have also not reached the same success Elden Ring has. For instance, by the end of Bloodborne‘s release year, 2015, Sony announced the game had sold 2 million copies. In July of 2020, Activision announced, that after more than year from launch, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice had sold 5 million copies.
Not only does Elden Ring shine within FromSoftware’s catalogue, but also in Europe as well. According to gameindustry.biz, Elden Ring is Europe’s best-selling new game IP since Ubisoft’s The Division in 2016, and Europe’s biggest launch since Call of Duty: Vanguard in November 2021. Additionally, Elden Ring was the best-selling game in most European territories, “with the exception of Germany, which had Pokémon Legends: Arceus at No.1.”
Outside of Europe, Elden Ring has also done well. In the United States, Elden Ring is the “best selling game of 2022 so far.” In Japan, Elden Ring was the second best-selling game of February, only losing to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. In response to the global success of the game, President & CEO/Director of FromSoftware, Hidetaka Miyazaki stated, “It’s astonishing to see just how many people have been playing Elden Ring. I’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks on behalf of the entire development team.”