Red Dead Redemption 2 Hits Highest Annual Sales Since Launch

While all attention remains on Grand Theft Auto 6, Take-Two Interactive highlighted continued success for another of its major titles during its most recent earnings call. CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2 achieved its highest level of annual unit sales since its launch year, with over 85 million units sold to date.

This sales total positions Red Dead Redemption 2 as the third best-selling game of all time. The open-world western has outdone games widely regarded as mainstream phenomena, including Wii Sports and The Sims.

Take-Two made more money than it expected to in 2025. CFO Lainie Goldstein attributed the outperformance to better than expected results from series like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption.

Zelnick praised the longevity of the titles. He said that GTA Online and Red Dead Redemption 2 "have proven to be vastly more resilient than anyone expected, and I think it's a reflection of the quality of the work that Rockstar has done."

Executives drew a distinction in the company's long-term strategy during the call. Zelnick described GTA Online as a "live service business" while labeling Red Dead Online, and by extension Red Dead Redemption 2, as "legacy live services."

Red Dead Online received an update in 2025 that added a handful of new missions as well as zombies and robots. The update surprised fans, given that Rockstar had announced it was winding down updates for the game in 2022 and the title had spent years without new content.

Compared to the frequent hefty updates GTA Online receives, Red Dead Redemption 2 does not get the same level of attention from Rockstar and barely has a pulse as a live service game. Despite this, the title continues to sell strongly without requiring significant ongoing marketing, much like perennial classics such as Skyrim that quietly sell copies years after release. The game speaks for itself, according to the company's assessment of consumer spending trends.