US Trends

what game has made the most money

The highest-grossing video game by lifetime revenue is generally considered Fortnite , with widely cited estimates putting it at about $40 billion+. For a more sales-based answer, Minecraft is usually the best-selling game by copies sold, but not the top by total money made.

Why this answer varies

“Made the most money” can mean a few different things:

  • Lifetime revenue : total money earned from sales, in-game purchases, and other monetization.
  • Copies sold : how many units the game sold.
  • Adjusted for inflation : older games can move up dramatically under this method.

So if you mean revenue , Fortnite is the usual #1; if you mean units sold , Minecraft is the more common answer.

Other huge earners

A few other games often appear near the top of revenue lists:

  • Grand Theft Auto V / GTA Online.
  • Honor of Kings.
  • Genshin Impact.
  • Call of Duty as a franchise-wide money maker, depending on the list.

Simple takeaway

If someone asks “what game has made the most money?”, the safest short answer is: Fortnite. If they mean “what game sold the most copies?”, the answer is usually Minecraft.