Will anything ever rise above Monster Hunter: World?
After another incredibly successful year, developer / publisher Capcom has released its recently updated “Platinum List”, showcasing every title that has sold more than a million copies in the company’s nearly 40-year history. It should come as no surprise that, again, the upper echelons are dominated by two franchises: zombie-smashing horror Resident Eviland a gigantic hunting adventure Monster Hunter.
Of the top 15 titles on this year’s list, there are seven Monster Hunter submissions. 2019’s Monster Hunter: World remains Capcom’s largest seller of all time, with an additional 400,000 units in the last quarter for a staggering 16.8 million units to date. Its extension Monster Hunter: Iceborne ranks sixth with an impressive 7.2 million units.
The Top Five is fully rounded off with Resident Evil entries, including 2017’s Resident Evil VII (8.5 million), 2019’s Resident Evil 2 remake (7.8 million), 2009’s Resident Evil 5 (7.8 million), and 2012 Resident Evil 6 (7.7 million). The 2020 offering, a remake of Resident Evil 3, failed to make it into the Top Ten, sitting at number 18 with 3.6 million copies sold.
With regard to flagship fighting franchise street fighter, the modest SNES edition of Street Fighter II retains its top ten position and is number six with a whopping 6.3 million units. Not too shabby for a 30 year old game. The modern equivalent, Street Fighter V., is just behind number seven, with 5.2 million copies since its release in 2016.
Capcom has already revealed some of its plans for 2021, with the arrival of Ghosts n ‘Goblins Resurrection, Capcom Arcade Stadium, Monster Hunter Rise, and of course, Resident Evil Village. Will any of these releases make their way to the sacred halls of the Platinum List? I’ll tell you all next year.
Check out the full list of games on Capcom’s website.
