Pokemon entered its eighth generation with the release of Sword & Shield in November 2019. The latest in the Nintendo franchise had players exploring the Galar region for the very first time, while introducing new features such as Dynamaxing and Max Raids.
The title was initially met with backlash leading up to its launch, after developer Game Freak announced that it was scrapping its National Pokedex. However despite the uproar, the game has gone on to sell millions of units. And in August, it smashed a major sales record.
Pokemon Sword & Shield breaks records
On August 6th, Nintendo released their quarterly update which includes sales figures of titles. In the report, it was revealed that Sword & Shield has sold a total of 18.22 million units, making it the third highest-selling release in the Pokemon franchise.
This is a major milestone for the eighth generation game, as it’s now sold more than Diamond & Pearl which released on the DS in 2006. The number one spot still belongs to the series first titles Red & Blue, which have sold approximately 31 million units since their debut in 1996.
Impressively, Sword & Shield is just shy of five million units from the second highest selling release, Gold and Silver, which came out in 1999. The Game Boy title has sold 23 million. The Switch game could eventually reach that spot, especially with its second DLC The Crown Tundra slated to drop later in 2020.
Top-selling Pokemon titles
- Red / Blue / Green – 31.8 million
- Gold and Silver – 23.10 million
- Sword & Shield – 18.22 million
- Diamond & Pearl – 17.67 million
- X & Y – 16.45 million
- Ruby & Sapphire – 16.22 million
- Sun & Moon – 16.8 million
- Black & White – 15.64 million
The title wasn’t the only Switch game to have incredible sales. According to Pokemon outlet Serebii, it was also revealed that Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee have sold over 12.20 million units since their debut two years ago.
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Serebii Update: As of June 30th 2020, Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu & Eevee! has sold 12.20 million units https://t.co/gDbXkHSvkT
— Serebii.net (@SerebiiNet) August 6, 2020
While Sword & Shield was initially met with backlash for scrapped features, re-used models, and animation, the game seems to have won over many players as it’s been a smash hit with consumers.
It sold over 6 million units in its opening week alone. The RPG has now become one of the best selling in the entire franchise, which is quite the feat, considering it only came out at the end of 2019.
