2021 was a quieter year for games, but a select few titles managed to skyrocket to massive success. In particular, Forza Horizon 5, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Monster Hunter Rise sold record copies and amassed dozens of accolades between them. However, it seems that Europeans were after something a little different over the past twelve months. According to GamesIndustry.biz‘s Christopher Dring, Farming Simulator 22 managed to outsell all of these titles, as well as The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Released in November, Farming Simulator 22 has broken a number of records for the chill franchise, hitting 1.5 million sales in the first week. Humorously, it even beat Battlefield 2042 in terms of both sales and peak player count on Steam during the last week of November. Given Battlefield’s numerous bugs and glitches upon release, Farming Simulator 22 also managed to rack up far more positive reviews. Then again, those willing to spend hours relaxing on a farm likely have far lower blood pressure than those smashing their keyboard after yet another server issue pops up in 2042.
Europe even has a Farming Simulator esports league, bringing together the best virtual farmers on the continent to see who can yield the best harvest. The latest tournament had a payout of €100,000 (around $113,000).
Europeans also preferred the Nintendo Switch over any other console in 2021, while It Takes Two was the best new game release for the year. As expected, however, FIFA 22 was the number one selling game across all of Europe for 2021.
The series began with Farming Simulator 2008, with 10 PC and console titles following, as well as five mobile titles. The games have sold over 25 million copies combined, with over 90 million mobile downloads to date. Each title invites players to farm, breed livestock, grow crops, and sell assets created from farming. The series notoriously targets those more familiar with the farming industry.
