Photo: Pixabay

What game has the biggest map?

Taking the top spot on our list and earning the title of the biggest open-world map in video game history, is The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. What is this? With a whopping 62,000 square miles, this map is gigantic, and pretty much impossible to navigate without an actual map.

gaminggorilla.com - The 30 Biggest Open World Maps in Video Game History - Gaming Gorilla

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If you’ve not paid much attention to video game maps before, then this is going to blow your mind!

Some of the maps on this list are bigger than earth. Wait; what?! Are you kidding me?

Nope! We almost couldn’t believe it ourselves.

So, without further ado, here’s a list of the 35 biggest open-world maps in video game history.

The 35 Biggest Open World Maps in Video Game History

The list of open-world maps and figures mentioned below have been compiled from various sources around the web, such as The Gamer & Screen Rant.

These are the 35 biggest Open World Maps in video game history:

35. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Size: 6 Miles²

Kicking off the list of the biggest open-world maps is Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The game was released worldwide on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 1, 2015. At just over 6 square miles, the game’s maps include vast desert terrain that will make you feel like the game’s never-ending and your options are endless. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was seen as one of the best games of 2015 and shipped more than 3 million copies in its first five days!

34. Far Cry 4

Size: 11 Miles²

Far Cry 4 offers players 11 square miles of game environment to explore, which is tiny in comparison to others on the list. However, it’s still more than a ton of other games that didn’t make the cut, and it’s densely populated, so you’re not going to get bored with this one. This first-person shooter was released across a variety of platforms in November 2014.

33. Red Dead Redemption 2

Size: 12 Miles²

Spanning across five fictitious U.S. states, and totaling 12 square miles, Red Dead Redemption 2’s map is pretty darn big. But, the maps don’t have a massive amount of variety, and everything pretty much looks the same for miles on end. However, this certainly helped with the games’ midwest roots, keeping everything in character. Red Dead Redemption 2 became one of the best-selling video games of all time, selling over 29 million copies.

32. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas

Size: 13 Miles²

Grand theft Auto San Andreas is an action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on the PlayStation 2 in October 2004 and went on to become one of the best-selling games of all time. It was one of the first games to prove that a large city render was possible in a video game, and it’s often perceived as one of the earliest representations of open-world maps. Players can explore the sizable open-world environment on foot or vehicle in third-person.

31. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Size: 15 Miles²

PUBG is an online multiplayer battle royale game that was released to the world in December 2017. Players parachute onto an island and are tasked with immediately looking for weapons to kill the other players before they get killed themselves. The battle royale maps are 15 square miles split across four maps in total. The game’s maps decrease in size over time to force players into the same area to fight to the death. Battlegrounds became one of the best-selling and best-played video games of all time.

Size: 15 Miles²

In comparison to some of the upcoming maps on the list, Skyrim hardly compares, however, Skyrim is often perceived by fans to be one of the greatest open-world games ever created.

Size: 16 Miles²

At only 16 square miles, Oblivion is showing signs of its age as it was released in 2006, and games have become a lot bigger and better since then. But, at the time, it was easily one of the biggest open-world maps in video game history, and it still clocks in at number twenty-four on our list. Oblivion was a commercial and industrial success, selling 1.7 million copies by April 10, 2006, just one month after its official release.

28. The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Size: 22 Miles²

Breath Of The Wild is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released worldwide on March 3, 2017, for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U consoles. The game is famous for packing in a massive amount of content into its 22-square-mile map. It’s super impressive because Nintendo has managed to jam in so much content onto a mobile console and still make it look amazing! Players can explore the open world as freely as they wish with little instruction. Breath Of The Wild received critical acclaim upon release for its attention to detail and open-world gameplay.

27. Far Cry 2

Size: 31 Miles²

Far Cry 2 is a first-person shooter that was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released worldwide in October 2008 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. The 31 square miles of terrain is stunning and offers players an inspiring environment to explore. It’s packed with burning brush and realistic images of the African Serengeti, which will leave you wanting to play more. Far Cry 2 received a positive reception upon release and went on to sell nearly 3 million copies by January 2009.

26. Fallout 4

Size: 43 Miles²

Released worldwide on November 10, 2015, Fallout 4 is the fourth main title in the Fallout series. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic open-world environment, and players can roam around as they see fit. There are many unique and varied areas to patrol in the game, and the maps certainly pack a punch. There’s debate as to how big Fallout 4s maps are, however, you won’t get a sense of feeling hemmed in, as the maps give off a grand sense of scale and landscape. Fallout 4 generated over $750 million in sales within its first 24 hours of release.

25. Dragon Age: Inquisition

Size: 45 Miles²

Developed by bio-ware and published by Electronic Arts, Dragon Age: Inquisition has the twentieth biggest open-world map in video game history. The game was released Worldwide in 2014 on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Without a doubt, it delivers in terms of map size and scale, giving players a lovely 45 square miles of unexplored terrain to explore as they please.

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It’s not the biggest open-world map in the world, but it’s also not the smallest! Critics praised the games’ storyline, voice acting, and soundtrack, and it was nominated for several industry awards.

24. Grand Theft Auto V

Size: 49 Miles²

Released in 2013, developed by Rockstar North, and published by Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto V has 49 square miles of game terrain to explore. The environments are super detailed and have many exciting things to look at and explore. The game can be played from either a first-person or third-person perspective and allows up to 30 players to engage in a variety of cooperative and competitive game modes.

GTA V is the best selling PS4 game of all time.

23. Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag

Size: 55 Miles²

Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag is an action-adventure video game that was released on multiple platforms in October 2013. The game contains a whopping 55 square miles of open-world environment to explore, and the possibilities for exploration are almost endless. Black Flag received positive reviews upon release and was listed as one of the best-selling games of 2013.

22. World of WarCraft

Size: 80 Miles²

The seventeenth-best open-world game in video history is World of WarCraft.

With over 80 square miles to explore, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most popular multiplayer games on the planet. It boasts millions of active players and is one of Blizzards’ most famous titles. In 2009, WOWC was the world’s most popular MMORPG, with a player count of just shy of 10 million.

21. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Size: 84 Miles²

The Witcher 3 is a 2015 action-role-playing game that’s based on a series of fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. It has 82 square miles of expansive terrain to explore, plus additional two-game expansions for you to lose yourself in. It’s entirely possible to spend days at a time playing this game and never tire of it. Wild Hunt received numerous game of the year awards and was cited as one of the greatest video games ever made.

20. Xenoblade Chronicles

Size: 95 Miles²

Coming in at number twenty is the Xenoblade Chronicles, with an impressive 95 square miles of terrain. These science fiction action role-playing games, developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo, were released on the Nintendo Wii in 2010. Often finding itself struggling to compete with the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, having a title like this on the Nintendo Wii brought the Wii back into a contending position, and the Xenoblade Chronicles map had a lot to do with it! The Chronicles were a commercial and critical success, with praise directed at its open-world design, sound, and stories.

19. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Size: 98 Miles²

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is set in 431–422 BC, Greece, including Macedonia, a former Greece territory. Whilst it’s definitely not the favorite game of AC fans, its map is certainly the largest, coming in at an estimated 98 Miles². This is close to double the size of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag’s map.

18. Arma 3

Size: 103 Miles²

The next open-world map comes from the popular PC game, Arma 3.

Arma is a realism-based, military tactical shooter, which takes place in the mid-2030s. With over 103 square miles to navigate, and not that much combat, things can get a lot boring. However, dedicated fans appreciate the games authenticity and intricate detail.

Arma 3 won PC Gamers simulation game of the year.

17. Ghost Recon Wildlands

Size: 105 Miles²

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands is a tactical shooter video game that was released worldwide on March 7, 2017. The game’s developers described it as one of the biggest open-world games that they’ve published. It includes a ton of different environments, like mountains, forests, salt flats, and deserts. Wildlands won the award for “Best Cooperative Multiplayer” at Game Informer’s Best of 2017 Awards.

16. Operation Flash Point: Dragon Rising

Size: 135 Miles²

Operation Flash Point: Dragon Rising is a military simulation video game.

The game was developed by Codemasters and is the stand-alone sequel to Operation Flash Point: Cold War Crisis. Dragon Rising offers 135 square miles of terrain to explore and conquer, which helped save its reputation, as it didn’t receive the best response when released in 2009.

15. Star Wars Galaxies

Size: 200 Miles²

Star Wars Galaxies was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), released worldwide on Microsoft Windows on June 26, 2003. The game boasted an impressive 200 square miles of space and over ten planets to explore. However, unfortunately, its servers were shut down in 2011, but the game managed to stay alive due to a group of dedicated fans. Star Wars Galaxies sold 370,000 copies in the US by August 2006 and became the country’s 43rd best-selling computer game between January 2000 and August 2006.

14. Burnout Paradise

Size: 200 Miles²

Burnout Paradise is an open-world racing video game that was initially released in 2008 and re-released as a remastered copy in November 2016. Set in fiction Paradise City, there are over 200 square miles of roads to race, and players can either choose to play a single-player campaign mode or an online multiplayer. The game was well-received upon release and won several industry awards in 2008, including “Best Driving Game” from GameSpot.

13. True Crime: Streets of LA

Size: 240 Miles²

The 13th biggest open-world map is found inside True Crime: Streets of LA. With over 240 square miles of city streets to navigate, you’re not going to get bored any time soon. Streets of LA was seen as a bit of a GTA clone and was nowhere near as good. However, one impressive thing was the sheer size of the map, as at that point in time, both technology and the no-how weren’t really good enough to pull that off. But, they managed to do it somehow, and the game sold over three million copies worldwide. The franchise continued with the sequel, True Crime: New York City.

12. Just Cause 3

Size: 400 Miles²

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At almost double the square miles as our previous entry, Just Cause 3 is well-known for its size and magnitude when it comes to its maps. The action-adventure game was developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Square Enix in 2014. It’s the third installment in the franchise and received mixed reviews from critics upon release. The game won the “Cry Havoc And Let Slip the Dogs of War Award” at the Steam Awards 2017.

11. Asheron’s Call

Size: 500 Miles²

Asheron’s Call was released for Microsoft Windows PCs in 1999 and is a fantasy MMORPG. The game is played in a vast, seamless 3d virtual world, which could host thousands of avatars at any given time. It was developed by Turbine Entertainment Software, and its servers were unfortunately shut down in 2017. However, thanks to some dedicated fans and emulation capabilities, the game lives on and is ready for players to explore its vast 500-square-mile landscape.

10. Test Drive Unlimited 2

Size: 618 Miles²

Test Drive Unlimited 2 is an open-world racing game that was developed by Eden Games and published by Atari. It was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 and received mixed reviews upon release. The game features two islands, with a total of 618 square miles to race around. It features dynamic weather effects, slight cosmic vehicle damage, day and night cycles, and takes place on the islands of Ibiza and Oahu. Test Drive Unlimited 2 is available to play in both single-player and multi-player.

9. Final Fantasy XV

Size: 700 Miles²

The fifth biggest open-world map in video game history features an open-world environment where players can experience quick-switching weapons, elemental magic and vehicle travel, and camping. Final Fantasy XV received praise for its gameplay, visuals, and emotional weight and sold more than 8.9 million copies worldwide by October 2019.

8. The Crew

Size: 1,900 Miles²

The Crew is an online-only racing video game that was released in December 2004. It was developed by Ivory Tower and published by Ubisoft Reflections for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It’s pretty similar to Need for Speed and spans across 1,900 square miles of the United States of America. Players have free-roam of the open-world recreation of the United States, and The Crew includes both role-playing and larger-scale multiplayer environments. Within a month of release, The Crew had sold over two million copies worldwide!

7. Fuel

Size: 5,560 Miles²

Coming in at number seven is the online open-world racing video game, Fuel. Fuel was developed by Asobo Studio and published by code Masters. It was released worldwide in June 2009 for the PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. It’s gigantic, and players are free to wander around its 5,560 square miles of sun-scorched earth. Just to put that in perspective, 5,560 square miles is roughly the size of Connecticut, a state in the United States.

Fuel can be played in single-player or multiplayer modes.

6. Guild Wars Nightfall

Size: 15,000 Miles²

The 6th biggest open-world map in video game history is Guild Wars Nightfall. The 2006 video game offers players one of the biggest open-world maps in video game history to explore, and all that extra space comes as an expansion on top of another game. Guild Wars Nightfall received positive reviews upon release and was awarded “Best MMO and “Best Value” from PC Gamer US in 2006.

Size: 62,000 Miles²

With a whopping 62,000 square miles, this map is gigantic, and pretty much impossible to navigate without an actual map. Thankfully, players can travel anywhere on the map using the map feature. The map displays hundreds of small dots, which represent the abundant amount of towns, cities, and dungeons to explore. It’s the second game in the Elder series and was released on September 20th, 1996. Also, the world’s biggest open-world map was available to download for free in 2009, as developers wanted to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of The Elder Scrolls franchise. Daggerfall was met with critical acclaim and was named the best computer-role-playing game (CRPG) of 1996 by Computer Gaming World and PC Gamer US.

4. Microsoft Flight Simulator

Size: 196,940,000 Miles²

Microsoft’s flight simulator is the oldest game on this list.

The original version of the simulator was released by Microsoft in 1982. This was a time when the most popular video games were played in Arcades. Whilst the technology for such a simulator wasn’t great back then, Microsoft made sure the simulator was to be updated regularly over time. There are now over 2 million realistic cities you can fly to in the currently available version of Flight Simulator. To be honest, I didn’t even realize the world had that many cities until now.

3. Minecraft

Size: Unknown

Mojang’s Minecraft has become one of the most popular games of all time, among several different age groups. With people attempting to replicate their own towns, cities, and even countries within the game, you can be sure there’s a ridiculous amount of space available. We’ve listed the size as unknown, because, well… people have many different answers to the question.

2. Elite: Dangerous

Size: Unknown

Elite: Dangerous appears on this list as the 2nd biggest video game map of all time. The game’s universe consists of 400 billion star systems, making exploration absolutely endless.

1. No Man’s Sky

Size: Unknown

No Man’s Sky was initially released back in 2016, however, it wasn’t exactly an audience favorite upon release. After many years of progressive updates, the game has garnered a large fanbase. Whilst it’s most likely impossible for somebody to figure out just exactly how big the game’s map is, and no doubt they’ll try, this is likely to be the biggest video game world we will see for decades to come.

Summary

We hope you enjoyed our list of the biggest open-world Maps in video game history. Good luck trying to make your way through the entire maps on those last two games. Here’s a quick recap of the 35 biggest open-world maps in video game history.