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10 million copies sold in three days
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are the fastest-selling video games to have ever been released on Nintendo consoles.
The latest generation of Pokémon titles shifted 10 million copies — including physical and digital sales — in just 72 hours.
The game had already impressed at UK retail, which isn’t one of Nintendo’s strongest markets. It generated more revenue in its first two days than any previous Pokémon release in the UK.
Scarlet and Violet has faced criticism for technical issues, which may hinder its momemtum beyond the launch weekend. The previous Pokémon ‘generation’ titles — Sword and Shield — have exceeded 25 million copies globally.
The news follows a string of strong AAA game launches during the quarter. Sony’s God of War Ragnarok, released earlier in the month, is Sony’s fastest-selling video game, shifting over five million copies in its first week. Meanwhile, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had the biggest opening weekend for a Call of Duty game, generating $800 million.
The success of these AAA titles will come as some relief to the market. It follows a tough six month period where game sales and engagement dropped as the release schedule dried up and consumers enjoyed their first summer following the COVID-19 lockdowns.
