Fallout 4 Ships 12 Million Copies in One Day, Breaks Records

Fallout 4's launch was a huge success. Bethesda announced today that the game shipped 12 million copies worldwide for launch day alone, "representing sales in excess of $750 million." In addition, the game is generating "record sales" at brick and mortar stores and across Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and PC.

Bethesda did not say how many of those 12 million copies shipped to retailers were actually sold through to consumers. The $750 million number likely represents the total possible revenue, if indeed all 12 million were actually sold. We've contacted Bethesda in an attempt to learn more about Fallout 4's performance.

"Major retailers have informed Bethesda of the tremendous consumer interest in Fallout 4 , with some noting it was the most pre-ordered game this year," Bethesda added, noting that the Pip-Boy Edition became the fastest-selling collector's edition for any game in history "at leading retailers."

"Following the release, Bethesda was advised that launch day sales at some of the leading retail chains were the largest of any game released this year," the company explained. "Bethesda is now shipping more Fallout 4 units to retailers to meet ongoing market demand."

By comparison, the last game from Bethesda Game Studios,--2011's The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim--shipped 7 million copies in 48 hours to retailers and sold through 3.5 million to consumers during that period. As of January 2014, the game had sold through to consumers 20 million copies worldwide.

On Steam alone, Fallout 4 was the top-played game at launch, at one time reaching over 470,000 concurrent players. This blasted past a previous record held by Grand Theft Auto V. In addition, Bethesda claims the Fallout Pip-Boy app was the "number one game" on the iTunes App Store.

Finally, Bethesda said Fallout 4 set a new record to become the most-viewed game launch for any new game released so far this year.

Fallout 4 launched on November 10 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. For more, check out GameSpot's review and what other critics are saying. In addition, Bethesda has teased the game's upcoming DLC and players have discovered an infinite money exploit.

Further Reading

• Fallout 4 review
• Fallout 4 review round up
• Fallout 4 ultimate guide
• Fallout 4 essential tips
• Fallout 4 graphics comparison video
• Top loot locations in the early hours of Fallout 4
• Fallout 4 base building beginners guide video
• A visual tour of Fallout 4
• 5 secret games you can play in Fallout 4 video