Capcom can’t stop winning. Following the record-breaking success of Monster Hunter Wilds, the anime adaptation of Devil May Cry released last week to positive reviews from both critics and viewers. The incredible reception seems to have had an effect on game sales, too, as Devil May Cry HD Collection, Devil May Cry 4, and Devil May Cry 5 have all re-entered Steam’s Global Top Sales chart in the past week.
At the time of writing, the Devil May Cry anime, which released on Netflix on April 3rd, sits fourth in Netflix’s list of global top 10 shows and is in the top 10 in 87 countries. According to Netflix, the show’s debut season has been viewed more than 5.3 million times.
A comparison with the debut week performances of other popular video game adaptations highlights just how impressive the Devil May Cry anime’s receptions has been. According to Flix Patrol, the show was watched for an estimated 21 million hours, more than Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (14.8 million hours) and both seasons of Castlevania: Nocturne (9.8 million and 9 million, respectively). The most successful debut week for a Netflix video game adaptation is Arcane’s first season (34.17 million hours).
Sales of games in the Devil May Cry franchise have surged as a result of the show’s success. SteamDB shows a sudden spike in Devil May Cry 5’s player count near the time of the anime’s release, jumping from around 2,000 concurrent players to just over 13,500 players in the span of a few days. Devil May Cry 4 and the Devil May Cry HD Collection have also seen similar sales boosts in the past week.
Last week, the CEO of Capcom published a message to company investors that laid out the company’s strategy to expand its brands through a multimedia approach. The success of the Devil May Cry anime adaptation—and to a lesser extent, the Onimusha TV series—serves as early proof of this strategy in action, showcasing how Capcom is leveraging its game IPs beyond consoles and into streaming platforms.
