Sunil GillMinecraft has sold more than 425 million copies, Xbox chief Asha Sharma said at Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026, and the game still picks up about 300,000 new players a day seventeen years after its first release. Microsoft's last published audience figure was 155 million monthly active players in October 2025, which its chief executive called an all-time high.
Microsoft owns Minecraft through Mojang Studios and reports figures for it occasionally, usually on earnings calls or at Minecraft Live. This page collects those statements, the box office of the 2025 film, and nothing from tracker sites, with the date of each figure.
Minecraft statistics: the key figures
- More than 425 million copies sold, as of September 2026 (Microsoft), up from 300 million announced in October 2023.
- 155 million monthly active players in October 2025, an all-time high (Satya Nadella, Microsoft FY26 Q1 earnings call).
- About 300,000 new players try the game every day (Microsoft, September 2026).
- A Minecraft Movie grossed $960 million worldwide from its April 2025 release on a $150 million budget (Box Office Mojo).
- Minecraft was the most downloaded paid iPhone game in the US in 2025 (Apple).
- Minecraft is widely regarded as the best-selling video game of all time.
Copies sold
Minecraft is sold as a one-off purchase, so copies sold is the number Microsoft tracks and announces. The milestones:
View as table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Sep 2014 | 54M |
| May 2019 | 176M |
| May 2020 | 200M |
| Oct 2023 | 300M |
| Sep 2026 | 425M+ |
Source: Microsoft and Mojang announcements
| Date | Copies sold | Announced by |
|---|---|---|
| September 2014 | 54 million | Microsoft, on acquiring Mojang |
| May 2019 | 176 million | Mojang, for the game's tenth anniversary |
| May 2020 | 200 million | Mojang |
| October 2023 | 300 million | Mojang, at Minecraft Live 2023 |
| September 2026 | More than 425 million | Asha Sharma, at Minecraft Live 2026 |
That is 125 million copies in three years, or more than 40 million a year, for a game released in 2011 at a price that has barely changed. For comparison, the whole smartphone market ships about 1.26 billion phones a year. The 2025 film is the obvious explanation for the acceleration, and Microsoft's "300,000 new players a day" figure, equivalent to about 110 million a year, suggests the pace has held since.
Monthly active players
Microsoft reports Minecraft's audience less often than its sales. The figures it has given:
| Date | Monthly active players | Source |
|---|---|---|
| April 2021 | Nearly 140 million | Microsoft FY21 Q3 earnings call |
| October 2025 | 155 million, an all-time high | Microsoft FY26 Q1 earnings call |
The game added about 15 million monthly players in four and a half years, far less than it sold copies, which is the normal pattern for a premium game: most purchases are by people who already play on another device, and many owners play in bursts. Figures above 200 million that circulate for 2025 are not Microsoft's and should be treated as estimates.
A Minecraft Movie
Warner Bros. released A Minecraft Movie on April 4, 2025 (April 2 in some markets). It opened to $162.8 million in North America and finished with $424.1 million domestically and $536.3 million internationally, a worldwide total of $960.4 million against a reported budget of $150 million. It was one of the largest film releases of 2025 and the second-biggest video game adaptation at the box office after The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The film's effect on the game is visible in the sales milestones: the gap from 300 million to 425 million copies spans the release, and Microsoft's record monthly audience was reported six months after it.
Minecraft on mobile
Minecraft is one of very few paid mobile games that still sells at scale. Apple's official year-end list for the US App Store put it first among paid iPhone games in 2025, ahead of Balatro and Heads Up!, and it has been near the top of that chart for years. The mobile version is part of the Bedrock Edition, which shares purchases and worlds across phones, consoles and Windows.
What the numbers mean for game and app developers
- A paid game can keep selling for fifteen years if it keeps changing. Minecraft's regular updates, and now its first new dimension in fifteen years, announced at Minecraft Live 2026, are the reason a 2011 purchase is still being made 300,000 times a day.
- A film can add tens of millions of players. The Minecraft movie did what no marketing budget could, and Microsoft timed its sales milestones to show it.
- Copies sold and active players diverge. 425 million sales and 155 million monthly players is a ratio to keep in mind when a company quotes only the larger number.
- Paid still works on mobile for a brand people already trust. Minecraft tops the paid chart because people arrive already wanting it, not because the App Store sells it.
Other games' download figures are in the most popular apps report, and the size of the gaming audience in the number of gamers report.
How these figures are counted
Sales and player figures are Microsoft's and Mojang's own statements on the dates given; Microsoft does not publish them on a regular schedule and does not disclose Minecraft's revenue. "Copies sold" counts purchases across all platforms and editions since 2011. Box office figures are from Box Office Mojo. The App Store ranking is Apple's official 2025 list for the US.
FAQs
How many copies has Minecraft sold?
More than 425 million as of September 2026, according to Microsoft, up from 300 million in October 2023. It is the best-selling video game of all time.
How many people play Minecraft?
155 million monthly active players in October 2025, which Microsoft called an all-time high. Microsoft also says about 300,000 new players try the game every day.
How much did the Minecraft movie make?
$960.4 million worldwide: $424.1 million in North America and $536.3 million elsewhere, on a $150 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo.
Is Minecraft still popular in 2026?
Yes. Its monthly audience hit a record in late 2025, it sold 125 million copies between 2023 and 2026, and it was the most downloaded paid iPhone game in the US in 2025.
How much money does Minecraft make?
Microsoft does not disclose it. The only published measures are copies sold (425 million) and monthly players (155 million).
Does Minecraft have 1 billion players?
No. Microsoft's latest figures are 155 million monthly active players (October 2025) and more than 425 million copies sold (September 2026). The billion figure sometimes quoted refers to cumulative downloads of mods and add-ons, not players.
Is Minecraft the number one game?
By copies sold, it is widely regarded as the best-selling video game ever. By 2025 downloads, Block Blast! led the free charts, while Minecraft was the most downloaded paid iPhone game in the US according to Apple.
Sources
- Minecraft Live 2026, September 26, 2026, as reported by GoNintendo
- Microsoft: FY2026 first quarter earnings call, October 29, 2025 (155 million monthly active users)
- Microsoft FY2021 third quarter earnings call, April 2021, as reported by Windows Central (nearly 140 million)
- Box Office Mojo: A Minecraft Movie
- Apple's 2025 most downloaded iPhone games for the US, as reported by 9to5Mac
The 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2023 milestones are Microsoft's and Mojang's announcements at the time. All other figures were checked against the sources above on October 6, 2026.