Nintendo Shares Surge 7% as Pokémon Pokopia Hits 5M Sales
Key Points
- Nintendo shares closed 7% higher in Japan on Friday after Pokémon Pokopia sales exceeded 5 million units.
- The game reached the 5 million milestone over four months after launching on March 5, making it the second-best-selling title on Switch 2 behind Mario Kart World.
- Nintendo plans to launch The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and two new Pokémon games next year to boost console sales.
Switch 2 console sales have declined year-over-year. In the June quarter, Nintendo sold 3.82 million Switch 2 consoles, down 34.4% compared to the same period the previous year. The company forecasts sales of 16.5 million Switch 2 consoles in its fiscal year ended March 31, 2027, which would also be lower than the previous year's forecast for the same period.
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Nintendo also announced on Thursday that expansion packs and updates to Pokémon Pokopia are in development to attract new players and retain existing ones. Despite these efforts, Nintendo shares remain down more than 16% for the year overall. However, the stock has rallied more than 26% over the last month as investors bet on an improving outlook driven by upcoming game launches.
The company plans to release The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a remake of the classic title originally released on Nintendo 64 in the late 1990s, on Switch 2. Two new Pokémon games are also scheduled for launch next year. Pokémon and Zelda rank among Nintendo's most popular franchises globally.
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The performance of Pokémon Pokopia demonstrates that even spin-off titles with hybrid gameplay mechanics can achieve substantial commercial success on Nintendo's latest hardware. At its current sales rate, Pokémon Pokopia would reach approximately 7.5 million units by the end of its first year on market, placing it among the fastest-selling games in the Switch 2 library.
What This Means
Pokémon Pokopia's commercial success suggests Nintendo's strategy of leveraging hybrid gameplay mechanics can drive hardware adoption despite console price increases. The upcoming Zelda remake and new Pokémon titles in 2027 may reverse Switch 2's declining quarter-over-quarter sales trajectory. If these franchises achieve similar sales milestones, Nintendo could meet or exceed its 16.5 million console forecast and stabilize stock performance.
Sources: CNBC and other international news outlets.
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