Resident Evil is Capcom's best-selling video game franchise and one of the best-selling in the world. Aside from the games, the franchise also includes live-action films, animated films, comic books, and novels. The franchise was created by Shinji Mikami and Tokuro Fujiwara on the basis of Capcom's previous game called Sweet Home, which was used as the main inspiration.
The first game, Resident Evil, contained many elements from Sweet Home, and the game itself became a major critical and commercial success. It was also the first game ever to be dubbed "survival horror." Resident Evil games together sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and below are the ten best-selling.
Updated on May 24th, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra: Resident Evil is one of the most enduring and longest-running franchises of all time. While the series might've seen a bit of a slump after both Resident Evil 5 and 6 dropped the ball when it came to what made the series special, the franchise ended up earning a second wind of sorts after the breakthrough success of Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, one of the best-selling Resident Evil games of all time. With Resident Evil Village making waves in the gaming landscape right now, there's no better time to look at the impressive sales of the Resident Evil series.
15 Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City - 2.7 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
It's a testament to the massive drawing power of Resident Evil as a series that one of the worst games in the entire series still managed to sell around 3 million copies.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a rather abysmal title that features a bevy of glitches, poor game design across the board, and a horrid AI that makes everyone around the player appear subpar. It's honestly surprising how this game managed to sell anywhere close to this gargantuan amount in the first place!
14 Resident Evil – Code: Veronica - 2.9 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, PlayStation 3, GameCube, Xbox 360
One of the greatest games in the Resident Evil series, Code: Veronica is an absolute must-play for anyone who wishes to experience the magic of classic Resident Evil for themselves.
The biggest selling point of Code: Veronica is easily its atmosphere, featuring a somber and immersive setting that will keep fans hooked all the way to the very end of this enthralling adventure.
13 Resident Evil Revelations - 2.9 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Wii U, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Released around a time when Resident Evil was leaning more heavily towards action-oriented gameplay, Resident Evil Revelations was a breath of fresh air for fans who were tired of the direction that Resident Evil 5 and 6 had taken the series towards.
Survival horror fans will feel right at home with this title, which features enough chills and nerve-wracking gameplay to keep fans on the edge of their seats as they scramble to survive each and every encounter by the skin of their teeth.
12 Resident Evil Village - 3 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Google Stadia, Microsoft Windows
The latest game in the Resident Evil series is already selling like gangbusters, and the fact that Resident Evil Village has already managed to break into this list within a few weeks of release just goes to show that it's only a matter of time before this number escalates even further.
Resident Evil Village might be somewhat of a disappointment for fans who wanted more of what the seventh game had to offer, but players who don't mind a more action-heavy approach will feel right at home with this excellent title that pulls no punches when it comes to all the action and horror that it has to display.
11 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis - 3.5 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation, PlayStation 4, GameCube, PlayStation Portable, Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
First on the list is Resident Evil 3: Nemesis with 3.5 million copies sold worldwide. The sales were achieved thanks to a marketing campaign that cost several million dollars and included television and print advertisements.
Published in 1999 for PlayStation, and later ported to GameCube, Dreamcast, and Windows, the game was designed to be more action-oriented than its two predecessors. Aside from the action, the game features a creature from the title called Nemesis, which is the most iconic antagonist in the Resident Evil series. The game received a remake, which was published in 2020.
10 Resident Evil 3 - 4 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
The remake of Resident Evil 3 wasn't as well-received as the other two games that game before it — namely, Resident Evil VII: Biohazard and Resident Evil 2's remake — but one has to admit that this title is still quite a blast to play through regardless.
While it might not do much to elevate the experience of the original — aside from the improved graphics and combat, of course — Resident Evil 3 is still a fun game that is just a bit too short for the liking of most fans, even after considering that most Resident Evil titles don't really last all that long anyway.
9 Resident Evil 0 - 4.2 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, GameCube, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Switch, Wii, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
With 3.9 million copies sold, Resident Evil 0 is second on the list. The game serves as a prequel to the original game, therefore that's is meaning of "0" in the title. It was originally published for GameCube, before being ported to the other platforms.
Though the previous game on the list and this one are published just in a span of 3 years, the difference in graphics is drastic, and that can be seen while playing it. The game introduced some new elements not seen before or after in any of the installments in the series like the absence of item storage boxes and a unique partner zapping system.
8 Resident Evil - 5.3 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Sega Saturn, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS
The original game started the, what is now, one of the best gaming franchises. Originally envisioned as the remake of the studio's previous game Sweet Home, the rights to the game eventually expired leading Capcom to create a game with new a setting, story, and characters that still contained many of the elements present in the Sweet Home.
Resident Evil sold 5.3 million copies and is considered to be one of the best and most influential games of all time. The game's producer, Tokuro Fujiwara, later said that he didn't expect the game to become a success, and expected that it will sell only 200,000 copies.
7 Resident Evil - 5.4 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, GameCube, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Switch, Wii, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Resident Evil is a remake of the original game published in 1996 and was a part of an exclusive deal between Nintendo and Capcom. Also, the game's director Shinji Mikami decided to make a remake because he believed that the graphics in the game did not age well. The game is often considered to be one of the best entries in the series.
Resident Evil received critical acclaim and sold 4.7 million copies, less than the company anticipated, and failed to surpass the sales of the original Resident Evil game, which eventually led to more action-themed Resident Evil games.
6 Resident Evil 2 - 6.1 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, Dreamcast
Resident Evil 2 is a sequel of the original game and follows a rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, sister of Chris — a protagonist of the original game. As in the original game, it features exploration, puzzles, and combat with limited ammunition. It was originally published for PlayStation in 1998 and was later ported to Nintendo 64, Windows, Dreamcast, and GameCube.
The game received critical acclaim and sold 5.1 million copies. Which was achieved thanks to a 5 million dollars advertising campaign by Capcom.
5 Resident Evil 2 - 8.1 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Resident Evil 2 is a remake of the original game of the same name and was published in 2019 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game features pretty much the same plot as the original, with the addition of gameplay where the player is able to control a supporting companion at one part of the game, as well as modern graphics and the ability to play the game in the second run, with adds new content.
The game managed to sell 3 million copies in the first week of launch, and sales later totaled to 7.2 million, making Resident Evil 2 the fifth best-selling game in the series.
4 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - 9 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
After action-oriented Resident Evil 5 and 6 games, Capcom decided to go back to its roots with a new survival horror game — the result is Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in which the main protagonist Ethan Winters is searching for his wife in a derelict plantation. It serves as the ninth major installment in the series and the first one to feature a first-person view.
The game sold 2.5 million copies in a few days of its release, totaling 7.9 million to this day. Later, Capcom gave a forecast, that the lifetime sales of the game will reach 10 million due to good reviews, marketing, and downloadable content.
3 Resident Evil 4 - 10.8 Million Copies
- Platforms: GameCube, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows,Wii, iOS, Zeebo, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Oculus Quest 2
Resident Evil 4 is the sixth major installment in the series and is oriented more on action than the previous Resident Evil games. It also features an over-the-shoulder third-person view which became a standard in future third-person games. It received critical acclaim and won many "game of the year" awards.
Resident Evil 4 sold 10.3 million copies, a feat achieved thanks to being so long on the market and for having to be ported on so many different platforms. The game also entered the Guinness World Book of Records as the Best-Selling Survival Horror Game.
2 Resident Evil 6 - 11.6 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
Published in 2012 third-person shooter, with a story that features four interwoven campaigns with a different tone and gameplay. The game had a development staff of 600 people making it Capcom's largest production.
Resident Evil 6 received mixed critical reception, and on basis of that, the studio didn't have high expectations for commercial performance. However, the game sold 4.5 million copies in days after the release, setting a new record for Capcom. It eventually sold 11.2 million copies becoming the second bestselling Resident Evil game.
1 Resident Evil 5 - 13.4 Million Copies
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Android, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360
Resident Evil 5 is the best-selling Resident Evil game with 13 million copies sold. The studio believed that the market for a survival horror game is too small and wanted a make a game that will appeal to wider audiences — the result is Resident Evil 5, an action blockbuster.
The game abandoned the survival horror genre seen in previous installments and focused solely on action, which in turn proved to be highly successful and it definitely paid of. The game lacks zombies but still has lickers and enemies seen through the game will be mind-controlled natives infected by Las Plagas parasites.