Performance
- Views (24h)
- 74,541
- Views / Hour
- 3,106
- Total Views
- 81,337
- Duration
- 26:44
Regions
Topics
Description
Japan launch sales for Pokemon Legends ZA struggled to match expectations. According to data from the week of October 13–19, 2025, the game sold approximately 1.48 million physical copies in Japan across both the Switch and Switch 2 versions (872,552 on Switch, 612,905 on Switch 2). Meanwhile, reports indicate that launch sales are about 40% lower than those of its predecessor Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. While still a strong number overall, the gap versus earlier entries raises concerns about franchise momentum in Japan’s key market. The game has also met with a growing backlash from fans and critics. Many players have publicly voiced frustration on forums and review sites, complaining about gameplay changes, design choices, and what they perceive as a lack of the polish seen in previous titles. Additionally, community reactions have included review-bombing or sharply decreased user scores—indicating that while sales are decent, sentiment among the core fanbase may be eroding. That kind of negative momentum can hurt word-of-mouth and long-tail sales. Looking ahead, the performance of Pokemon Legends Z-A and the reaction to it could influence how future main-line Pokemon games are developed, marketed, and timed. The evident drop in launch performance in Japan suggests the franchise may need to revisit its innovation cycle, pricing strategies, regional rollout, and platform support (Switch vs. Switch 2) if it wants to regain top-tier growth. It also means that the developer,...