On September 27, Xbox CEO Archa Sharma posted on social media to coincide with the “Minecraft LIVE” livestream. She revealed that *Minecraft* has sold more than 425 million copies to date and that, on average, more than 300,000 people still play it for the first time every day.
New Dimension Announced for the First Time in Over 14 Years
Sharma revealed that even now, more than 17 years after its debut in 2009, “Minecraft” continues to attract “more than 300,000 new players” every day. She also posted, “I’m delighted that we continue to offer new discoveries even to our longtime fans.”
During the “Minecraft LIVE” stream on September 27, a new dimension called “The Sift”—the first in over 14 years—was announced.The new dimension is scheduled for release in the Java Edition and Bedrock Edition in 2027, but players can explore “The Sift” ahead of time in *Minecraft Dungeons II*, which launches on September 29.
With “Minecraft” having sold over 425 million copies cumulatively, posts comparing these figures to the globally popular “Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5)” series can be seen online.
According to Take-Two’s “Investor Presentation” in August 2026, “GTA V” is a rare title that has been released across three generations of game consoles since its 2013 launch, with shipments totaling over 230 million units.While it is cited as the best-selling title in the U.S. over the past decade in terms of both units sold and revenue, this figure still falls short of *Minecraft*’s cumulative sales of over 425 million copies.
When comparing *Minecraft*, which is rated for all ages, to *GTA V*, which is rated for ages 18 and up (CERO Z in Japan) and available only on PC and consoles, some argue that *GTA V* has performed admirably.On the other hand, many users have posted comments praising *Minecraft*’s record as historic.
With the upcoming addition of the new “Shift” dimension, “Minecraft” appears set to continue attracting not only existing users but also new players who are about to experience its world for the first time.
