Red Dead Redemption 2 is still killing it in 2026, and nobody realizes it

Being a neglected child is hard. That’s all anyone wants to talk about right now grand theft auto 6. However, in a recent earnings call discussing its entire portfolio of games, Rockstar publisher Take-Two Interactive mentioned Other Huge Success: red dead redemption 2.

“Rockstar Games’ red dead redemption 2 Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said it “has achieved its highest level of annual unit sales since its launch year, with more than 85 million units sold to date.” To put this number in perspective, red dead redemption 2 It is now the third best-selling game in the entire medium. Open-world Western games have overtaken those games to be widely considered a mainstream phenomenon wii games And the sims.

During the call, several executives said Take-Two made more money in 2025 than expected. What was the reason for that success? “Better than expected performance” from a series like Grand Theft Auto. And According to Take-Two CFO Lenny Goldstein, Red Dead Redemption.

No Red Dead Redemption 2 update

As far as Rockstar is concerned, GTA’s strong numbers have a lot to do with its recent update, A Safe House in the Hills, which brings back protagonist Michael De Santa. Makes sense. red dead onlinemultiplayer part of red dead redemption 2received an update in 2025 which added some new missions as well as zombies and robots. Than frequent heavy updates gta online However, receives red dead redemption 2 Doesn’t get nearly the same attention from Rockstar.

Rockstar had already announced that it was discontinuing updates for its horse-riding simulator in 2022, so the update took fans by surprise. The open-world game had spent years without anything, so fans were ready to suck the marrow out of the bone. But for all intents and purposes, red dead redemption 2 As a live service game it barely has any pulse.

Why is Red Dead Redemption 2 selling so well?

Zelnick praised the increase in consumer spending on his games, saying that gta online And red dead redemption 2 Equally there are games that “have proven to be much more resilient than anyone expected, and I think that’s a reflection of the quality of work Rockstar has done.”

Later, when Zelnick was discussing the publisher’s long-term strategy for its games, he made an odd distinction. gta onlineIt’s a “live service business,” he says. red dead onlineAnd, in detail, red dead redemption 2Described as “legacy live services”.

There’s an argument to be made that single-player games shouldn’t be expected to keep pumping out content. heck, now that destiny 2 is coming to an end, the industry at large is reevaluating its assumptions about what multiplayer games are like red dead online It is necessary to be successful. red dead redemption 2 Still trucking, because – and this may surprise you – it’s a great time. So good that Rockstar doesn’t need to market it much anymore. Despite the disappointment of fans who wanted such updates red Dead RedemptionRockstar’s handling of its sequel was prescient. Much like the perennial classic games Skyrim, red dead redemption 2 Can quietly and confidently sell more copies in a year than other titles. The game speaks for itself.

Still, I can’t be the only one who was shocked to learn so well red dead redemption 2 Is doing. red dead redemption 2 All you need is some more roses.