Resident Evil has officially outpaced Final Fantasy to become the best-selling Japanese game series not published by Nintendo, according to Capcom’s recent financial report. This achievement places it at the top of the rankings, with GamesRadar confirming the milestone after Capcom released new sales data.
A new best-seller has emerged within the series. Resident Evil 2 Remake, which launched on January 25, 2019, has replaced Resident Evil 5 as the franchise’s top-performing title. RE5 held that title for many years, so this change marks a notable internal shift as well as a cross-franchise milestone.
This shift highlights the success of Capcom’s remake strategy. RE2 Remake debuted with a Metacritic score of 91 and has shown remarkable longevity on Steam. It currently boasts a 96% positive rating from 79,537 reviews, making it one of the highest-rated titles in the survival horror genre over time. Right now, you can grab the game for $7.99 on Steam, and that discount likely helps keep sales strong.
Capcom’s financial report also pointed out Pragmata as a promising title, but Nintendo Life’s coverage emphasized that the Resident Evil series continues to be the company’s primary revenue driver. Over the past decade, the franchise has thrived thanks to hits like RE7, RE2 Remake, RE3 Remake, RE Village, and RE4 Remake, showcasing one of the most impressive brand revivals in modern gaming.
Final Fantasy, under Square Enix, remains a huge global brand. However, its sales stretch over a much longer timeline, with greater intervals between mainline releases. In contrast, Resident Evil’s steady flow of highly-rated games since 2017 has provided Capcom the advantage needed to close and eventually surpass that gap.
| Resident Evil 2 Remake Metacritic Score | 91 |
| Steam Review Score | 96% positive |
| Total Steam Reviews | 79,537 |
| Current Steam Price | $7.99 |
| Current Steam Players (live) | 3,637 |
Community feedback has remained positive years after the game’s launch. One Steam reviewer shared, “Absolutely awesome remake of yet another classic PlayStation banger from my childhood. Relive both stories with glorious modern features.” This sentiment is echoed throughout the review pool, where long-time players keep recommending the game to newcomers drawn in by regular sales.
What To Watch
- Whether Capcom plans to release updated series-wide sales figures that clarify the exact gap over Final Fantasy, providing a better understanding of how much the margin has widened.
- How RE2 Remake’s position as the series’ best-selling individual game holds as RE4 Remake continues to gain sales — the 2023 title received strong critical acclaim and could contend for the top position in the next reporting cycle.
- Whether Capcom’s remake pipeline keeps boosting series totals, with potential future remakes of RE1 or Code Veronica adding even more strength to an already dominant catalog.
Sarah Chen
Sarah Chen is the Reviews and Guides Editor at Explosion.com. With a background in game design studies and 6 years of gaming journalism, Sarah brings technical insight to her reviews and creates comprehensive guides that help players get the most out of their games. She has reviewed over 200 titles across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms. Her current obsessions include FromSoftware titles and indie roguelikes.
