Splatoon 3 Breaks Sales Records in Japan

Nintendo is known for developing some of the biggest video game franchises in the world. From Pokémon to Mario to Legend of Zelda, Nintendo has created some of the most well-known and memorable games and characters in history. You would think that one of these franchises hold the record for most sales on release of a new game. You would be wrong.

Splatoon 3 released in September of 2022 and it is shattering sales records in Japan. In just three days, the game sold nearly three and a half million copies in Japan alone. This crushed the previous record held by Animal Crossing: New Horizons which sold 2.6 million copies when it released at the beginning of Covid-19.

The Splatoon franchise has been a fan-favorite in Japan for years. The first game released on the Wii U back in 2015, with Splatoon 2 debuting on the Nintendo Switch just a couple of years after. Despite huge success in their home country, Nintendo hasn't seen Splatoon take off in other countries quite as well. The arrival of Splatoon 3 may cause an increase in popularity in western countries where the game series hasn't quite reached yet.

Splatoon has a thriving competitive scene that is welcoming new players into its ranks. Top players in the United States and Europe such as ProChara and ThatSrb2DUDE create content with the hope that players in their respective regions will enter the Splatlands with the same amount of hype being generated in Japan.

If you're interested in watching or even participating in a Splatoon tournament, check out the sendou.ink calendar. It contains all of the upcoming events for Splatoon 3 with information on where to sign up and how to follow along live.