Grand Theft Auto vs Pokémon:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Pokémon had more branded searches than Grand Theft Auto among video game franchises worldwide. Pokémon had about 7.5 million branded searches, while Grand Theft Auto had 550,000. Pokémon made up 13.8% of all video game franchise searches we track, and Grand Theft Auto accounted for 1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about video game franchises, Grand Theft Auto appeared in three of the five answers and Pokémon in two. Pokémon was mentioned before Grand Theft Auto in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Pokémon, about 14 searches for every 1 for Grand Theft Auto
Who does AI mention more?
Grand Theft Auto, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Pokémon in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Pokémon, named ahead of Grand Theft Auto in 2 of 2 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 was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Pokémon was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Pokémon was listed before Grand Theft Auto in every answer 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 Pokémon more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Grand Theft Auto and Pokémon 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 Pokémon, Grand Theft Auto. 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 Pokémon comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Pokémon was ahead of Grand Theft Auto in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 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, Pokémon’s share of searches among video game franchises worldwide moved from 14.2% to 13.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.1M to 7.5M.
How did search popularity change for video game franchises worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Resident Evil overtook Pokémon and 2 others to rank 2nd among video game franchises worldwide, with 20.5% of the searches.
In September 2026, Pokémon lost share of searches among video game franchises worldwide, from 16.8% to 13.8%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Grand Theft Auto worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 673K to 550K 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 Pokémon’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
Pokémon
1 branded search term
- pokemon
Other head-to-heads among video game franchises
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