Thank you to the more than 6.5 million explorers worldwide who have already embarked on an exciting new adventure in #PokemonLegendsArceus!
We hope you're loading up on more potato mochi before your next research mission! pic.twitter.com/u1MKRHkhhD
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 4, 2022
Here we go folks – Pokémon Legends: Arceus has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide, making it the best selling Pokémon game in ages.
Curiously, Pokémon Legends: Arceus was intended to be sold as an experimental format of the main series Pokémon games, a spinoff-but-not-really-a-spinoff set in a dynamic 3D world.
It seems like this investment is paying off, as Arceus’ first week of sales is stronger and better than Sword and Shield, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s was.
To date, Sword/Shield have sold 23.9 million copies and the controversially easy Let’s Go series have sold 14.33 million copies.
Legends: Arceus has some catching up to do in the coming weeks, but it does look it will overtake both Let’s Go games easily.
We are hoping that PLA’s excellent sales will continue, as it’s a strong signal to Nintendo to keep up with dynamic, open-world Pokémon games, rather than sticking with the outdated main-series formula.
There’s something magical about Legends: Arceus, and despite all the graphical and sound issues, we keep coming back to play it, complete our Pokédex and just have some simple fun.
Finally, after years of playing glorified tea time simulators, we have this feeling of being a stranger in a strange land, where there’s actual danger and actual consequences to our mistakes.