5 Best-Selling Xbox Franchises of All Time, Ranked

I think we can all agree that Microsoft has poured an adequate amount of content into Xbox's bloodstream over the years. Its originals may not be release as frequently as Sony's, of course, but when the gaming giant does put something out — they smash it out of the park. Plus, with Xbox Game Pass acting as a showground for up and coming titles to share their worlds on, it gives players more the reason to branch out and explore without the risk of braking the bank.

Franchises rise and plummet, and only few of them survive the fall. For decades, Xbox has worked tirelessly trying to push worlds, characters and stories down our throats, hoping that with enough power, one of them might just remain lodged. The question is, which of the many franchises still sit on the precipice of our tongues in 2022? Well, let's take a look. Here are the five best-selling Xbox franchises of all time, ranked.

5. Forza Motorsport

It comes as no surprise for most, seeing Forza Motorsport claim a spot on the list of best-selling Xbox franchises. After all, it has been making its rounds for the best part of seventeen years, and there's still no sign of it letting up, thankfully. Plus, with the latest addition to the franchise (that being Forza Horizon 5) breaking ten million sales, it also proves that fans are as equally as invested as the ones that spent years crafting it.

It wasn't long ago Forza Horizon 5 earned the title of being Xbox's most successful game to date, which is what effectively helped fortify the reputation of the series. By putting both Motorsport and Horizon together, of course, Forza becomes a dominant recipe for success. And as for what the future will bring for the series, well, I think we can all expect to see a few more instalments before Turn 10 drop a few gears and slap it into autopilot.

4. Age of Empires

Microsoft has been plunging Age of Empires entries into the spotlight for just over twenty-five years now, and has yet to ease off the reins in any way shape or form. Makes sense, considering it's one of the biggest RTS franchises ever made, as well as Microsoft's favourite vein to tap into.

Since 1997, the glorious series that is Age of Empires has raked in well over a billion dollars in profit, shipping over 25 million copies around the world. As a result, the real-time strategy series has snagged its place as one of Microsoft's highest-grossing video game franchise of all time.

3. Kinect Adventures

It feels like a lifetime ago since Xbox rolled out the Kinect, and yet its core library of exclusive games still burn hot in the shadows of our memories. But despite the fact the bulky add-on phased out a good few years ago (2017, to be exact), its record breaking sales still prove that it was a worthy accessory to the gaming giant's wealthy arsenal.

Anyway, let's talk Kinect Adventures, the platform's leading franchise of the noughties. Thanks to the generous collection of family-friendly activities each entry possessed, it soon became an essential item in most—if not all—gamers' cabinets. With 24 million sales to boot, Kinect Adventures leapt into the spotlight which, in turn, gave it the title of best-selling Xbox 360 game title of all time.

2. Gears of War

Gears of War is hands down one of Microsoft's meatiest cash cows in all of creation. Next to Halo, it idles on the podium with a record as equally as impressive. Of course, having spanned nearly twenty years on the market as an essential piece of the gaming nexus, it only makes sense that its sales are ridiculously high.

Epic Games may have taken a hiatus between the original trilogy and the rebooted series, but fans were more than happy to welcome back and embrace the former king of third-person shooters. As for 2022, well, surely it's only a matter of time before Gears 6 hits the ground running. The question is: when will Epic Games roll out the trailer for it?

1. Halo

I mean, you probably didn't need to go out of your way to find this information, to be honest. It's Halo. We all knew from the get-go that Bungie's firstborn first-person shooter phenomenon would be Xbox's best-selling franchise. Thanks to its contribution to the multiplayer world and breathtaking saga of captivating stories, the series basically cemented its place among the greats a long, long time ago.

It's 2022, which means Halo has been plodding about for just over twenty years now. But while the newly released Infinite chapter does mark the end of a certain era, it doesn't for a second mean 343 is through with breathing life into its coursing vein. As for Halo 7, I mean — never say never, you know? One thing's for sure. There's still plenty of life left in the franchise; 343 would be crazy to let it flatline.

Well, that's the official ratings out of the way. The question is, do you agree with the above five? What Xbox franchise would you rank the highest? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

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