Some people were not particularly pleased with Pokemon Sword and Shield. The game features a lot of cuts from previous titles, from the number of possible Pokemon being slashed in half to other key features being seemingly gone. But the power of the Pokemon brand is a strong one nonetheless, as proven by the UK sales.
According to GamesIndustry, Pokemon Sword and Shield is the biggest exclusive IP launch of the year in the UK, and the third overall boxed release behind FIFA 20 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It was 64.6% up from the previous titles, Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee. Interestingly, it was still a decent amount down from Sun and Moon, about 39% below those, but it’s also worth considering that those games were also priced at a lower rate than Sword and Shield. Sword was number 1 on the chart, Shield was number 3 and the Dual Edition containing both was number 7.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are available now exclusively for Nintendo Switch.