"Thief 2" debuted high on the bestsellers list for computer games, and its initial sales were better than those of its commercially successful predecessor. By November 2000, its global sales had surpassed 220,000 copies; "PC Zone" described these figures as "commercial acclaim." The United States alone accounted for 67,084 sales by the end of 2000, which drew in revenues of $2.37 million. The game later received a "Silver" sales award by the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom. "Thief II" also received positive reviews from critics, with an aggregate score of 87 on Metacritic and 89.14% on GameRankings.