Pokemon Legends: Z-A officially sold 5.8 million copies in its first week on sale, with nearly half of this number accounting for sales on Nintendo Switch 2.
Pokemon Legends Z-A first week sales – quick links
How did Pokemon Legends: Z-A achieve 5.8 million units sold?
While the figure is slightly lesser than the whopping 10 million copies sold by Scarlet and Violet in its first week, it’s an impressive achievement, regardless. The Pokemon Legends series is technically a spin-off from the ‘main’ games, with Pokemon players still more likely to purchase ‘new gen’ titles.
It’s worth noting ongoing cost of living challenges may have impacted the overall sales here, as well, with players worldwide potentially having less access to expendable income as the cost of groceries, rent, and other living expenses rises.
There’s also the matter of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to consider. While these games featured strong plots, cool Pokemon, and an ambitious open world, performance issues held them back from greatness. Players keen for a new generation of Pokemon adventuring were disappointed by just how poorly the games ran, with frequent clipping and frame rate drops dampening what should’ve been triumphant new entries in the franchise.
While these issues were eventually addressed on Nintendo Switch 2, for many players, the damage was done – and this may have led to more trepidation than was necessary, around the launch of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. There was certainly plenty of pre-launch discourse around this matter, with many speculating about the game’s potential release state.
Thankfully, these concerns didn’t eventuate – and in fact, Pokemon Legends: Z-A arrived as one of the smoothest-performing modern Pokemon games, with a real slickness in its presentation. With those concerns cleared, it feels very possible this game will have long-tail appeal, with that 5.8 million number likely advancing in the coming weeks and months, driven by positive reviews and word of mouth.
Our Pokemon Legends: Z-A review
From the ScreenHub review: ‘It’s rare that a franchise can continue to surprise decades after it debuted but in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, developer Game Freak has delivered something dazzling. This is an evolution of the franchise formula that’s sharp, snappy and exciting in each new phase.’
‘It consistently introduces fresh new gameplay options as a compelling plot advances, with fun traversal challenges, sleek Pokémon collecting and moreish exploration opportunities providing ample reasons to forge on.’
‘At its core, Pokémon Legends: Z-A remains a relatively linear experience, encouraging players along a pathway that features Pokémon catching and evolution as you form a team of creature friends. But much like its Legends predecessor Arceus, there’s a breezy freedom in how you embark on your adventure.’
The game has certainly earned its impressive first week sales figures, effectively breaking out of expectations set by Scarlet and Violet to arrive as a fully-featured, highly engaging adventure that expands the world of Pokemon. We expect to hear more about the game’s success in the coming weeks.
Also on ScreenHub: How a Counter-Strike 2 update tanked its real-world economy
Counter-Strike 2‘s real-world economy is currently in shambles, thanks to a recent patch update which has effectively tanked the value of its priciest in-game skins. For those unfamiliar, Counter-Strike 2 has a thriving real-world economy based around the value of in-game skins, with players able to sell and buy rare items for real currency, via the virtual Steam Marketplace.
As noted by PC Gamer, the exact value of Counter-Strike 2‘s market is difficult to ascertain, as much of it’s wrapped up in the transference of cryptocurrency. So while reports claim USD $1.75 billion in market value has been lost in the game, it’s difficult to put an accuracy number on this economy.
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