Pokemon Arceus is selling like hot cakes - err, potato mochi

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That beats Sword and Shield's launch numbers

Pokemon Legends Arceus
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon Legends: Arceus has sold 6.5 million copies just a week after launch, Nintendo has announced.

For some context, Pokemon Legends: Arceus' sales have outpaced Pokemon: Sword and Shield's launch performance by about half a million. 

"Thank you to the more than 6.5 million explorers worldwide who have already embarked on an exciting new adventure in Pokemon Legends: Arceus!" reads a tweet from Nintendo shared yesterday. "We hope you're loading up on more potato mochi before your next research mission." (In case you're curious, that last bit is a reference to the meal you eat with your buddies all the time in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.)

The bold new direction Pokemon Legends: Arceus charts, not to mention an array of glowing reviews, are likely key to the title's success. GamesRadar's review heaps praise on the vast open world, experimental gameplay payoffs, and better-than-expected storytelling, while noting performance issues and less than stellar visuals.

"Problems with the performance are the one thing holding Pokemon Legends: Arceus back from perfection," writes GR's Sam Loveridge. "But when you're having such a great time with the actual gameplay, it's not enough to hold back this otherwise impressive swing into a new Pokemon generation, building on the foundations of the past with exciting new mechanics, a more open structure, and efforts made to address each of the elements that were becoming stale. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a must-play game for any would-be trainers who prefer to spend their time appreciating Pokemon rather than putting them to battle."

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Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.