Pokémon Legends: Z-A sold 5.8 million copies in its first week, making it the fifth best Pokémon launch
Around half of these were played on Switch 2, The Pokémon Company says
Pokémon Legends: Z-A sales have started well, according to The Pokémon Company.
In a statement posted on the company’s official corporate website, it was announced that the game has sold 5.8 million copies in its first week.
The Pokémon Company also notes that of these 5.8 million unit sales – which includes both physical and digital versions of the game – around half of these were played on Switch 2.
X user Pierre485, who specialises in video game sales data, noted that the figure makes Pokémon Legends: Z-A the fifth-best performing game in the Pokémon series in terms of week 1 sales.
The four games above it are all Nintendo Switch titles – Pokémon Scarlet & Violet sold 10 million in 3 days, Pokémon Legends: Arceus sold 6.5 million in 3 days, Pokémon Sword & Shield sold 6 million in 3 days, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl also sold 6 million in 3 days.
Of course, these are high targets to reach. Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s 10 million sales in 3 days still makes it the fastest-selling single-format game of all time.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the second entry in the Pokémon Legends series, following the critically acclaimed Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which was released in 2022.
While Pokémon Legends: Arceus sees the player travelling back through time to visit the Hisui region long before the events of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is instead set in the modern era and takes players to Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y.
VGC’s Pokémon Legends: Z-A review calls it “a love letter to older fans that betters Pokémon Legends: Arceus in every way”.
“Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a grand adventure that once again proves that the Legends series is home to the most interesting ideas Game Freak has,” we wrote. “It’s a game that understands its audience, and feels like a love letter to both players who grew up with X & Y, and those who’ve been here the whole time.
“The new battle system really worked for me, and the Rogue Mega Battles are bombastic fun, even if, like the traditional turn-based offering, it can get very easy as you level up your team. I hope the Pokémon Legends series is here to stay.”
