20.35 million
Well, this is where we’re at. Amid all of the controversy, people showed up for Pokemon Swordand Shield. In overwhelming amounts.
According to the latest sales data from Nintendo, Pokemon Swordand Shield, billed as a duo (which is historically how Game Freak and Nintendo handle generations), have sold 20.35 million copies.That’s huge! Like, right behind Zelda: Breath of the Wild in a much shorter timeframe, and “fifth biggest Switch title so far” sales.
But as ResetEra points out, it’s actually kind of monumental. This makes Swordand Shieldthe only Pokemonset of games to cross the 20 million mark since Gold/Silverso many years ago. The only other generation to break 20 million (and soar into 31 million actually) is the very first: Red/Green/Blue.
It’s really interesting, looking at the sales data throughout the series. Platinum/Emerald/Crystalare at the bottom, beaten ever so slightly by a collective of sequels: Black/White 2and Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon. While 8.89 million for the latter pair isn’t something to shake a stick at, I can definitely see why Game Freak might be reticent for full-on sequels in the future.
Why limit your audience when you can just sell a season pass for a game with a 20 million install base?
IR Sales Data [Nintendo via ResetEra]