If you’d told me back in 2013 that Grand Theft Auto V would still be fighting for the top spot over a decade later, I would’ve smiled politely and handed you a tin-foil hat. Yet here we are in 2026, and Rockstar’s unstoppable open-world behemoth has just clinched another week at number one. The charts this time around read less like a sales list and more like a political drama—complete with re-elections, surprise comebacks, and a few campaigns that never got off the ground.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room first. Saints Row IV: Re-Elected was supposed to come in guns blazing, flaunting that very word in its title. Deep Silver clearly hoped the name would resonate with voters—sorry, players—this week. Instead, the remastered mayhem stumbled into fourth place, trailing behind Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and FIFA 15. I mean, come on, you literally have “Re-Elected” in your title and you can’t even get on the podium? That’s got to sting a bit. It’s like showing up to the polls in a sequinned suit and forgetting to register.

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Meanwhile, the big winner needs no introduction. Grand Theft Auto V put forward a compelling case for why it should keep the crown, and the people (read: wallets) responded. Los Santos just doesn’t age—every time I drop back in, there’s a new sliver of chaos waiting, and clearly millions of others feel the same. The game’s longevity is something I have to admire, even if my own San Andreas driving licence has been revoked more times than I can count.

Then there’s the plot twist nobody saw coming. Call of Duty: Ghosts, which had been completely absent from the charts, suddenly reappeared in fifth place. I literally rubbed my eyes when I saw that. Ghosts? The one everyone loves to debate about? It’s back like it never left, sending a ripple effect through the entire top twenty. Games that were sitting pretty in the upper half found themselves nudged down a slot or two, a classic case of one resurgence causing a quiet landslide. It’s the gaming equivalent of a political dark horse—no fanfare, just a sudden, creeping presence.

Speaking of impact, let’s look at the domino effect. Far Cry 4 slid from fourth to sixth; the Minecraft editions on Xbox One/360 dropped a spot to seventh; while their PlayStation cousins crept down from seven to nine. The Crew lost a place, Assassin’s Creed: Unity slipped from eight to twelve—it’s a pretty brutal reminder that no position is safe when a ghost decides to float back in. Even Watch Dogs, which had been clinging on at twelfth, was pushed all the way down to nineteenth. Ouch.

We did get one other fresh face this week: Rugby 15. Debuting at eighth, it’s the digital equivalent of a scrum cap tossed into a Formula 1 grid. I won’t pretend it’s a headline-stealer, but it held its own in a chart packed with military shooters and fantasy epics. Props to Big Ben for getting a rugby sim into the top ten in 2026—that’s a conversion kick most publishers wouldn’t even attempt.

Below is the full legislative body, I mean, the top twenty from this week. Look at these numbers and tell me you don’t feel a mix of nostalgia and disbelief:

  • 1. Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar) — Last week: 1

  • 2. FIFA 15 (EA) — Last week: 2

  • 3. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Activision) — Last week: 3

  • 4. Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (Deep Silver) — Brand New

  • 5. Call of Duty: Ghosts (Activision) — Did Not Chart

  • 6. Far Cry 4 (Ubisoft) — Last week: 4

  • 7. Minecraft: Xbox One/360 Edition (Microsoft) — Last week: 5

  • 8. Rugby 15 (Big Ben) — Brand New

  • 9. Minecraft: PlayStation 4/3/Vita Edition (Sony) — Last week: 7

  • 10. The Crew (Ubisoft) — Last week: 6

  • 11. Destiny (Activision) — Last week: 9

  • 12. Assassin’s Creed: Unity (Ubisoft) — Last week: 8

  • 13. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (Warner Bros.) — Last week: 10

  • 14. Dragon Age: Inquisition (EA) — Last week: 14

  • 15. WWE 2K15 (2K Games) — Did Not Chart

  • 16. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Ubisoft) — Last week: 11

  • 17. Just Dance 2015 (Ubisoft) — Last week: 13

  • 18. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (Warner Bros.) — Last week: 18

  • 19. Watch Dogs (Ubisoft) — Last week: 12

  • 20. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS (Nintendo) — Last week: 15

I’ll be honest—I’m still processing the fact that we’re living in a timeline where a 2013 title can not only survive but thrive while newer campaigns flop. It’s as if every gamer collectively decided that Los Santos is just too comfortable to leave. And with Ghosts rising from the dead to shake up the middle order, this week’s chart has been one of the most delightfully weird I’ve ever had to dissect.

What do you reckon? Is GTA V simply that good, or are we all just stuck in a collective habit? And should we start a support group for Saints Row, or just enjoy the chaos? Let me know—preferably before next week’s numbers bring another shock.