Splatoon 3 Sales Skyrocket in Japan

Video Games

Nintendo doesn’t have to wait for the ink to dry on its newest shooter. According to Games Radar, Splatoon 3 sold over 3.45 million copies in Japan in its first three days of release, making it the country’s fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game in the period. The previous champion, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, sold 1.88 million copies in its first three days, while Pokémon Sword and Shield sold 1.3 million, meaning Splatoon 3 sold more than both combined. Splatoon 3 has also sold more copies in three days than its direct predecessor, Splatoon 2, did in its first three months. There’s no information on Splatoon 3’s launch in other countries yet, but it’s certainly making a splash in Nintendo’s home.

How’s that for a rebuke on the law of diminishing returns? People must have loved Splatoon 2 because they’re lining up in droves (or ordering online in droves; society gets less poetic as it modernizes) for Splatoon 3. It makes sense; Splatoon works as a party game, it has competitive online play, and because of its relatively sanitized combat, kids can play it, as opposed to something bloodier and more realistic. And this is more than just popularity – outselling the two previous champs combined (or three, I guess, because Sword and Shield are technically two games, despite always being mentioned together… I think… sorry, I’m not into Pokémon) makes it a sensation. It looks like there’ll be no shortage of Splatoon sequels, prequels, spinoffs, and any other means of capitalizing on the franchise’s success for years to come.

If you’re a fan of Splatoon or just interested in the game, make sure to check out the Geeks + Gamers Twitch channel every Wednesday at 10:00 PM Eastern to see the G+G crew hose each other down with colored ink!