Yesterday, we reported that Skyrim sold like hotcakes over the weekend and now that report has been confirmed by ZeniMax. They have just announced that Bethesda Softworks’ The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has sold half of its 7 million shipped copies within the first 48 hours; the launch units are expected to generate more than $450 million in global retail sales.
Online downloads have been substantial as well; Steam reports that Skyrim set a record with over 280,000 concurrent players in the first 24 hours of its release.
“We are grateful for the fans’ response to Skyrim,” said Robert Altman, Chairman and CEO of ZeniMax Media. “Todd Howard and his team at Bethesda Game Studios have crafted a very special game. Anticipation for Skyrim has surpassed any game in our company’s history, and we are pleased that sales and reviews have reflected the quality and hours of amazing gameplay it provides.”
This confirmation probably doesn't surprise anyone, though I can't say the same for these Skyrim shop owners:
![Top 20 NEW Games of 2026 [Second Half]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c46KMTqwRiA/mqdefault.jpg)
