Grand Theft Auto vs Mario Kart:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Grand Theft Auto had more branded searches than Mario Kart among video game franchises worldwide. Grand Theft Auto had about 550,000 branded searches, while Mario Kart had 450,000. Grand Theft Auto made up 1% of all video game franchise searches we track, and Mario Kart accounted for 0.83%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about video game franchises, Grand Theft Auto and Mario Kart each appeared in three of the five answers. Mario Kart was mentioned before Grand Theft Auto in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Grand Theft Auto, about 22% more searches than Mario Kart
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Mario Kart, named ahead of Grand Theft Auto in 2 of 3 answers
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Top video game franchises in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Grand Theft Auto and Mario Kart were each mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Mario Kart was listed before Grand Theft Auto in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
The Legend of Zelda4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Minecraft3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Call of Duty3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Grand Theft Auto3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Mario Kart3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Resident Evil2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Pokémon2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Fortnite1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
EA Sports FC0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about video game franchises
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which video game franchise should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best video game franchise brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best video game franchise for family gaming?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“video game franchises”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best video games”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Grand Theft Auto or Mario Kart more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Grand Theft Auto and Mario Kart by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine video game franchises we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Grand Theft Auto, Mario Kart. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Minecraft | Resident Evil | Pokémon | Fortnite | Call of Duty | The Legend of Zelda | Grand Theft Auto | Mario Kart | EA Sports FC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 57.8% | 3.5% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 5.2% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.18% |
| Nov 2025 | 54.1% | 3.3% | 13.3% | 19.9% | 4.9% | 2.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.14% |
| Dec 2025 | 58.5% | 2.9% | 11.8% | 17.6% | 5.3% | 1.7% | 0.87% | 1.3% | 0.12% |
| Jan 2026 | 61% | 3.7% | 12.3% | 15% | 3.7% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.19% |
| Feb 2026 | 56.5% | 5.1% | 17% | 13.9% | 3.4% | 1.9% | 1% | 1% | 0.21% |
| Mar 2026 | 55.4% | 7.5% | 16.6% | 13.6% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 0.67% | 1% | 0.12% |
| Apr 2026 | 55.4% | 5% | 16.7% | 13.6% | 4.1% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.17% |
| May 2026 | 57.9% | 4.3% | 17.4% | 11.6% | 4.3% | 2.3% | 1% | 1% | 0.22% |
| Jun 2026 | 59.7% | 4.4% | 14.7% | 12% | 4.4% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 0.88% | 0.27% |
| Jul 2026 | 59.5% | 4.4% | 14.6% | 12% | 4.4% | 2.2% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.34% |
| Aug 2026 | 56% | 4.1% | 16.8% | 13.8% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.26% |
| Sep 2026 | 46% | 20.5% | 13.8% | 11.3% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 1% | 0.83% | 0.12% |
How has the Grand Theft Auto and Mario Kart comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Mario Kart took it in December 2025, Grand Theft Auto took it in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Grand Theft Auto’s share of searches among video game franchises worldwide moved from 1.6% to 1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 673K to 550K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mario Kart’s share of searches among video game franchises worldwide moved from 1.3% to 0.83%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 550K to 450K.
How did search popularity change for video game franchises worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Grand Theft Auto worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 673K to 550K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Mario Kart worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 550K to 450K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Grand Theft Auto’s and Mario Kart’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Grand Theft Auto
1 branded search term
- grand theft auto
Mario Kart
1 branded search term
- mario kart
Other head-to-heads among video game franchises
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