Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Escapist logo header image

Cataclysm Sets New Sales Record

This article is over 14 years old and may contain outdated information
image

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has set a new mark as the fastest-selling PC game of all time, and you’ll never guess which game it beat.

In what will probably not be the most shocking news you read all day, Blizzard Entertainment announced that Cataclysm, the third expansion to the enduring hit MMO World of Warcraft, sold over 3.3 million copies in its four 24 hours of release to become the fastest-selling PC game of all time. Equally unsurprising is that the game it surpassed to become the new king of the hill was its direct predecessor, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, which moved more than 2.8 million copies in its first day.

Cataclysm enjoyed more than 10,000 midnight openings as part of its simultaneous worldwide release and roughly 15,000 gamers attended official launch events in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Russia, Taiwan and elsewhere. “We want to thank all of our new, existing, and returning players throughout the world for their incredible enthusiasm and support, and we look forward to hearing what they think about all the new content,” said Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime, who described it as “our best expansion yet.”

Cataclysm also easily bested the first-day sales of StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty, another Blizzard release, which topped one million copies within 24 hours of its launch in August and became the best-selling PC game of the year in a day.

Recommended Videos

The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Ā Learn more about our Affiliate Policy