Death Stranding is an open-world game developed by Kojima Productions. The game was met with positive critical reception and also performed quite well financially, with analysts estimating the game has already sold around four million copies. In an interview for Livedoor News, Kojima stated that Death Stranding sold enough copies to turn a profit and secure funding for the next project.
Albeit, the commercial sales are impressive there are still games that managed to perform much better, but there are also those that Death Stranding left behind in terms of sales, and below is the list of them.
Updated on June 16th, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra: While the initial reaction to Death Stranding might have been mixed, more and more players have realized what makes this game unique. Roaming around the countryside delivering packages might sound like a simple gameplay loop. However, the manner in which Death Stranding innovates on this concept makes the title engrossing. With projected sales of around 4.5 million units (given the combined sales on the PS4 and Steam), there are several notable games that Death Stranding outsold. However, it left other titles in the mud.
14 Sold More Than: Persona 5
- Total Sales: 3.2 Million
Given the amazing reception to Persona 5, one would've expected this title to have sold like gangbusters. For what it's worth, Persona 5 definitely sold a ton of copies — just not as much as Death Stranding.
However, the sales figures of the original Persona 5 don't tell the full story. By combining the sales of Persona 5 Royal as well, both games ended up selling around 4.7 million copies — a figure which gives stiff competition to Death Stranding.
13 Sold Less Than: The Last Of Us Remastered
- Total Sales: 10 Million
The Last of Us is easily one of the most notable and beloved exclusives of all time. With that in mind, it goes without saying that players would want to get their hands on the remastered version of this fantastic title.
The combined total of all the sales of The Last of Us is 17 million, with the remaster itself selling a total of 10 million copies. It leaves Death Stranding far behind when it came to total copies sold.
12 Sold More Than: The Last Of Us Part II
- Total Sales: 4 Million
Given the massive success of The Last of Us, one woul have assumed that The Last of Us Part II would've been even more of a smashing hit. However, reports of unfair workplace practices coupled with a story that couldn't live up to the predecessor's high bar ended up diminishing most of this game's hype upon release.
This led to The Last Of Us Part II's sales dwindling at a historic rate after a record-breaking opening week, leaving the game's sales at around 4 million units. Overall, it was a huge disappointment when compared to the first game in the series.
11 Sold Less Than: Ghost Of Tsushima
- Total Sales:6.5 Million
Even though most people did not enjoy one of PlayStation's biggest exclusives, Sony doesn't really need to worry all that much. With fresh and successful IPs like Ghost of Tsushima, the future of the PlayStation brand is quite bright.
6.5 million sales for a new IP is nothing short of astounding. It's clear to many that Ghost of Tsushima is destined for great things in the future... provided the franchise isn't mishandled.
10 Sold More Than: Far Cry New Dawn
- Total Sales: N/A
Far Cry New Dawn is a spin-off of the Far Cry series and a narrative sequel to Far Cry 5. The game had a smaller production team in comparison to the main entries in the series, which resulted in the game's lower launch price. It received mixed reviews from critics and sold worse than the two previous entries, Far Cry Primal and Far Cry 5.
The game sold far less favorably than Death Stranding, and it also underperformed financially when compared to a lot of modern AAA titles. This may be a cause for concern for Ubisoft, as Far Cry has been one of their flagship titles in recent years.
9 Sold Less Than: Days Gone
- Total Sales: Around 5 Million (Estimated)
Days Gone is an action-adventure game developed by little known SIE Bend Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Upon release, it didn't impress critics, earning mediocre reviews. Keeping in mind that a game was developed by an unknown studio with average reviews, it was expected that the game wouldn't perform well commercially—but that's not what happened.
Days Gone managed to outsell PlayStation exclusive games like God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last Guardian, and, of course, Death Stranding. It was the bestselling PlayStation 4 exclusive game on PSN, and was among ten bestselling digital games in 2019.
8 Sold More Than: MediEvil
- Total Sales: 500,000
MediEvil is a remake of the original game published in 1998. While the critics praised the original game, the remake was met with a very mixed reception, particularly criticizing the gameplay. The game had a relatively average sales, much less than those of Death Stranding.
Still, Death Stranding was a blockbuster that spent a huge amount of money on marketing and promotion while also having famous actors and singers work on the game. All things considered it can be said that, for Sony Interactive Entertainment, MediEvil was a relative commercial success.
7 Sold Less Than: Ring Fit Adventure
- Total Sales: 10 Million
Ring Fit Adventure is an exercising action RPG developed and published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch. Upon release, the game sold exceptionally well, and the sales were further boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand for the game increased drastically, causing shortages in many countries. Some resellers sold the game for 300 dollars, up from its standard retail price of 80 dollars.
As of today, the game managed to sell four million copies. This marks it as one of the bestselling games for Nintendo Switch, while also surpassing the sales of Death Stranding.
6 Sold More Than: Shenmue 3
- Total Sales: N/A
The original game was an exclusive for the Dreamcast, and it was also was one of the most expensive games developed at that time. The game's fate was irrevocably tied to that of the doomed console. It was followed by Shenmue II, but, although the games did receive cult followings, they were commercial failures.
Shenmue 3was a new project started on Kickstarter, and, through crowdfunding, it managed to receive six million dollars. In comparison, the originals game had a production and marketing cost of 47 million dollars. That being said, the sales of the game weren't high and were much less than that of Death Stranding.
5 Sold Less Than: NBA 2K20
- Total Sales: 14 Million
NBA 2K20 is, as the title says, a basketball game that follows the NBA league. The game like this has its specific target audience; players are into basketball, or they are not. In contrast, Death Stranding is more a blockbuster game intended for everyone. Considering that the audience is potentially much smaller for the NBA 2K20, it is a surprise how the game performed well commercially and outsold Death Stranding.
Take-Two Interactive confirmed that the game sold eight million units. Aside from obviously performing well in North America, the game also surprisingly managed to top European digital sales.
4 Sold More Than: Half-Life: Alyx
- Total Sales:2 Million
It was long ago when Half-Life 2 came out and amazed audiences, with many regarding it as one of the best games ever created. It was followed by two expansion episodes, and, now, over a decade later, Half-Life: Alyx is here. The game is a prequel to Half-Life 2, with its events set between the first and the second game.
The gameplay of Half-Life: Alyx is truly one of a kind, but its niche VR market meant that its sales were never meant to be eye-catching. Rather, it was meant to showcase the sheer level of immersion VR could achieve.
3 Sold More Than: The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man Of Medan
- Total Sales: >1 Million
This game is an interactive drama with elements of survival and horror. It was first in the planned eight installments of the Dark Pictures Anthology. The studio decided on that step after the success of their 2015 game Until Dawn.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan sold more than one million copies, but that is still not enough to surpass Death Stranding. Still, considering that the remaining seven installments are underway, the whole Dark Pictures Anthology project could pay off in a long run should the developers commit to it.
2 Sold Less Than: Madden NFL 20
- Total Sales:Around 5 Million
Another sports game, Madden NFL 20 is a virtual simulation of American football. The game did sell less than some previous entries, but it still managed to surpass sales of Death Stranding.
The game itself did receive good reviews, but the COVID-19 pandemic also helped boost its sales. Apart from that, it's worth noting that the franchise has been in existence for more than two decades, with more than 130 million copies sold worldwide. This just shows how experience and commitment to an already established infrastructure can lead to successful business results.
1 Sold More Than: Bloodborne
- Total Sales: 2 Million
Bloodborne might be one of the greatest FromSoftware titles of all time, but there's no denying the fact that the Soulsborne games are still relatively niche. They don't really cater to a mainstream audience.
Thus, it might not be surprising to hear that Bloodborne has only sold around 2 million units. However, fans aren't worried in the slightest. Miyazaki and FromSoftware won't be stopped by such sales numbers, due to their loyal fanbase that will support the studio no matter what.