Splatoon 3 accounts for 69% of Japan’s gaming retail sales last month

Paint Party kicking in right now

Nintendo’s colorful arena shooter series made its grand return last month, with the arrival of madcap multiplayer release Splatoon 3 — And, , it appears to have had nothing less than the proverbial blockbuster launch, raking in ph𝐆ysical and digital sales worldwide and taking the retail market by storm in J🎐apan in particular.

In fact, for September 2021, Splatoon 3 sold 2.7 million physical copies in the territory, which accounts for an incredible 69% of all of Japan’s gaming retail for the month in question. Previously, Nintendo had already celebrated Splatoon 3 shifting 3.45 million copies in a mere three days, making it Japan’s fastest-selling Nintendo Switch release ever. Splatoon 3 has been the most dominant seller in series’ history, which is unfathomable when you consider hosts Pearl & Marina have taken time out for this entry.

On the hardware front, Japan also shifted a further 500,000 Nintendo Switch units in September, suggesting that Splatoon 3 has also been a major platform mover in the territory. And, while Nintendo is not particularly forward in the revelation of its games’ sales figures, we also know that Splatoon 3 has also been a success overseas, scoring the series its first Number One in the UK sales charts.

Splatoon, as a franchise, has gone from strength to strength with each consecutive release. The series’ success goes beyond the engaging gameplay and fun multiplayer action, with Splatoon successfully building a true community of players, as happy to hang around Inkopolis and share emotes and sketches as they are to run around covering the floor and walls in Day-Glo colors. Splatoon m𝔉ay have started out as a typical team shooter, built it has become something more, with fan art, live shows, a healthy competitiv🅰e scene, and merchandising all helping to grow the franchise into something very special.

[GamesIndustry.biz]