2K

How many copies did Civilization sell? — 2024 statistics

Measuring the growth of a game empire.

Fact-checked
First Released
September 19, 1991
Genre
Turn-based strategy
Developer
Fireaxis Games
Publisher
2K Games

When discussing real-time strategy games, few can rival the Civilization series, crafted by the globally renowned Sid K. Meier. Civilization. With an abundance of nations to choose from, Civilization sales have underscored its enduring popularity. The game’s rich replayability ensures that no two playthroughs are alike. Sid Meier’s Civilization series has been around for literal decades, so we’re going to be laying out some Civilization statistics to see how the series has fared in the past, and present, and where it is going in the future. If you want to learn more about the broader sides of the gaming industry, such as the esports industry’s worth, we’ve got you covered.

Civilization key stats

Just as the Civilization series’ gameplay begins with humble settlements and ascends to global empires, we’ll start at the inception of this iconic franchise. We’ll trace its journey from its early days to its rise to global fame. Furthermore, we’ll examine how the series stands today and what the future holds. Given the extensive history of Civilization, there’s a wealth of numbers to delve into, including Civilization sales, so let’s dive right in.

The Civilization series sales reached over 40 million copies.

(Sources: GamesBeat, VG Chartz, GameSpot)

  • That number is based on a statement that Strauss Zelnik made regarding total sales at TakeTwo Interactive.
  • The first Civilization game was released in 1991.
  • Civilization sold 1.5 million copies.
  • Civilization II sold over 3 million copies.
  • Civilization IV sold over 3 million copies.
  • Civilization V sold over 8 million copies.
  • Civilization VI sold 11 million copies.

Although the Civilization series has taken over 25 years to sell 40 million copies, a pace less rapid than some contemporary franchises, it’s important to recognize the remarkable achievement of these iconic games. The series continues to draw players, and with ongoing content additions, it’s poised to sell even more copies. Speculation aside, the prospect of a new Civilization game is always exciting. In the midst of it all, Civilization 6 sales are notably contributing to the series’ success, affirming its enduring popularity and robust sales figures.

Civilization VI helped Take-Two Interactive cross the $2.66 billion fiscal year threshold.

(Source: Nintendo Life)

  • The sales of Civilization VI significantly exceeded expectations.
  • The company moved to add Civilization VI to the Switch shortly after this announcement.
  • Aside from Civilization, Red Dead Redemption 2 also helped the studio cross that threshold.

Although all of the Civilization games have been massive hits each time one came out, Civilization VI stood out in particular because it had excellent sales performance, and fans of the series, as well as newcomers, flocked to the game because of everything it had to offer. In the end, Civilization VI proved to be the most successful Civilization game and that bodes very well for the series in general.

Civilization 6 sales reached 1 million units in first month makin it franchise’s fastest-selling game.

(Sources: VentureBeat, GameReactor)

  • Civilization VI managed to accumulate over 1 million sales within the first month of its release.
  • By that time, Civilization V sold 8 million copies.
  • Civilization VI would go on to smash that record and accumulate over 10 million sales later.

As we’ve already mentioned, Civilization VI is the franchise’s most successful game, but it also had the fastest sales in the franchise, amassing over a million sales within one month of its release. This was a massive feat back in 2016 and it was a clear indicator that the game would perform well. It did end up performing very well!

Civilization 6 sales on Steam reached 10.2 million units

(Source: VG Insights)

  • Civilization 6 revenue from Steam sales reached $357.7 million.
  • Average play time is 133.9 hours.
  • Civilization 6 has 85.5% positive reviews.

Civilization 6 has made significant strides on Steam, with sales surpassing 10.2 million units and generating a substantial revenue of $357.7 million. These impressive numbers are complemented by an average playtime of 133.9 hours, reflecting the game’s captivating and immersive gameplay. Furthermore, the title boasts an impressive 85.5% positive review rating, underscoring its enduring popularity

To sum up

Alright, that would be all we have to say about the Civilization series! As you can see, it has been around for a very long time and has established itself as one of the cornerstones of the RTS genre and the gaming world in general. 30 years, multiple games, and more expansions than you can count, Civilization offers near-infinite replayability and is definitely one of the best series out there. We sincerely hope that you have enjoyed the information we have provided here and that you have learned something new about this iconic franchise.

Sources

  • “Civilization (Series)”. VG Chartz, 2023, https://www.vgchartz.com/game/226068/civilization/?region=All
  • “Civilization: 25 years, 33M copies sold, 1 billion hours played, and 66 versions”. VentureBeat, 2016, https://venturebeat.com/games/civilization-25-years-66-versions-33m-copies-sold-1-billion-hours-played/
  • “Take-Two Says Civilization VI Sales “Significantly Exceeded Expectations”, Excited To Support Switch In Future”. NintendoLife, 2019, https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/02/take-two_says_civilization_vi_sales_significantly_exceeded_expectations_excited_to_support_switch_in_future
  • “Civilization VI becomes the fastest-selling entry in franchise’s 25-year history”. GamesBeat, 2016,
  • https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/civilization-vi-becomes-the-fastest-selling-entry-in-franchises-25-year-history/
  • “https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/civilization-vi-becomes-the-fastest-selling-entry-in-franchises-25-year-history/”. GameReactor, 2016, https://www.gamereactor.eu/civilization-vi-is-the-fastest-selling-game-in-civ-history/
  • “GTA 5 Ships 75 Million Copies, As NBA 2K17 Approaches 7 Million; Mafia 3 Rises To 5 Million”. GameSpot, 2017, https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-ships-75-million-copies-as-nba-2k17-approach/1100-6447639/
  • “Civilization VI Steam stats”. VG Insights, 2023, https://vginsights.com/game/289070