The launch of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has proven that there’s still a strong appetite for video game remakes, and at 3.5 million sales and counting, Ubisoft’s new game is off to a smashing start. That’s not too bad, and if you look at the numbers, the Black Flag remake is already one of the best games in this category of the current generation. It still has a long, long way to go before it can dethrone the current king of remakes, as 2023’s Resident Evil 4 is still a sales juggernaut.
According to new data by Alinea Analytics, the Resident Evil 4 remake has reached lifetime sales of 16.8 million units across PC and console so far. One thing to note is that the game has lifetime sales of 13.6 million units as of March 31, 2026, according to Capcom, and it hasn’t updated those figures yet. If Resident Evil 4 has sold another 3 million units in the last couple of months, then that would make it the company’s fifth-best-selling game of all time, leaping over the lifetime sales of Resident Evil Village (14.90 million) and Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (16 million). We’ve reached out to Alinea Analytics for clarification on the figure and will update as soon as we hear back.
As for the rest of the list, the other entrants all boast impressive numbers of their own. Alinea counted games released for the current console generation–starting on November 10–and its data covers overall estimates of copies sold across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. In the number two spot is Ark: Survival Ascended, the 2023 remake of 2015’s Ark: Survival Evolved, with 7 million units sold so far. Steam is where the lion’s share of the sales came from (3.9 million), followed by PlayStation (2.1 million) and Xbox (1 million).
The Last of Us Part 1 took third place with 6.3 million lifetime sales, which is pretty high considering that it was only available on PS5 and PC. Oblivion Remastered generated 4.5 million lifetime sales, Dead Space reached 4.3 million units sold, and Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth sits at 4.2 million units sold since it launched in early 2024. Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake rounds out the list at 3.2 million lifetime sales, but since Ubisoft revealed the Black Flag remake sales numbers this week, it looks like the Ubisoft game has already outperformed it and in record time.
Not even sales chart success could save Dead Space
Sadly, while Dead Space occupies a prime spot on the list, it wasn’t enough to save the franchise from going on hiatus. The sci-fi horror series is reportedly on ice at EA, and there are no plans for a new sequel, remake, or even reboot of the IP in the future. Dead Space co-creator Glen Schofield revealed last year that he’s attempted to revive the series at EA with pitches that he claimed would save the company tens of millions if they greenlit it, but so far, there has been nothing but radio silence regarding its future. Schofield also recently announced that he is retiring from day-to-day game development.
Remakes are more valuable than you think
Alinea noted that while remakes have been around for decades, in recent years, they’ve become a vital part of the video game industry for many publishers. “The way I see it, it’s a direct response to the AAA market’s woes,” Alinea’s Rhys Elliott wrote. “A brand-new IP is a six-to-eight-year gamble with no guaranteed audience, the riskiest bet on the board at the worst possible time to be making those bets. A high-fidelity remake is different, with a proven design blueprint, a built-in fanbase, and a much shorter, cheaper production cycle. So the budget gatekeepers aren’t gambling on whether people want the thing–the demand’s proven. AKA, less risk.”
As Elliot noted, constantly remaking games is not a sound business strategy. Capcom appears to have cracked the right approach, as it uses remakes to help make the production of new games less risky, resulting in critically acclaimed titles like Pragmata. A remake is seen as a dependable source of revenue that also keeps an IP relevant, giving a publisher the space it needs to work on a new project.
Mario and The Legend of Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto has also spoken about remakes, defending them as a way to connect with new audiences.
Meanwhile, last year saw dozens of familiar IP dominate the JRPG genre. The top-rated games–according to GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic–were remakes and remasters, with only a handful of original IP like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker emerging to earn critical acclaim.
The 30 Best Video Game Remakes
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