The last few years have been good for the Nintendo Switch, andSplatoon 3is another recent release to hit a major milestone in a short period of time. The third entry in the series has surged to an impressive level of popularity, even withSplatoon 3launching just prior toPokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Nintendo Switch fans were spoiled for choice in the second half of the year, withMario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope,Bayonetta 3, andPokemon’s latest release all launching over the last few months.Pokemon Scarlet and Violetset sales recordsby selling 10 million units in just three days, and even more since, despite its multitude of technical problems.
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WhileSplatoon 3’s sales record isn’t quite as stunning asPokemon’s, it’s still very impressive. According to a financial report from Nintendo,Splatoon 3sold ten million copies over its first three months on the market. This number is nothing to scoff at, and is particularly high considering fans can arguably get much of the same experience fromSplatoon 2, which is on the same console. However, it seems that the gameplay updates, improvements, and visual polish of the title has won fans over.
For comparison’s sake,Splatoon 3is greatly outperforming its predecessors. The originalSplatoonfor the Wii U didn’t quite make it to five million copies sold, likely made worse by the overalllow number of Wii U consoles sold.Splatoon 2performed much better, moving over 13 million copies. However, it tookSplatoon 2almost three years to reach the same number of units sold asSplatoon 3in its first three months.
One factor that may have been inSplatoon 3’s favor is the late adopters of the Nintendo Switch. The system has sold well from the start, but thepandemic saw many newcomers pick up a Switchto keep them occupied while stuck at home. Some of those were likely interested inSplatoon 2, but with the game already well into its lifecycle, some may have held off and picked upSplatoon 3instead once it was released.
While not everything aboutSplatoon 3is perfect, it seems that players are greatly enjoying their time inSplatsville. With regular catalog drops set for every quarter of the year and regular Splatfests and Big Run events to take part in, there’s a lot to keep players active and engaged. WhileSplatoonhad a shaky start as a new IP on one of Nintendo’s worst-performing game systems, it’s clearly found its audience on the Nintendo Switch.
