The debut of the Hisui region in Pokémon Legends: Arceus marked a big turning point in the Pokémon series, evident in the game’s massive success in just a few short days after its launch.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus was the highest-grossing video game of January 2022, according to Mat Piscatella of The NPD Group. It beat out games such as Call of Duty: Vanguard and Monster Hunter Rise to claim this title, despite only being available in January for three days. Piscatella mentioned that digital sales of Nintendo-published titles were not included in this ranking, meaning some of the results may be higher than listed.
Legends: Arceus marks a new direction for the Pokémon series, foregoing the traditional catching and battling system that’s remained true to the series for 26 years. In its stead is a new exploratory semi-open-world style akin to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, giving players complete control over tasks that were once automatic, like throwing Poké Balls.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, remakes of the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games, finished 11th on the list of highest-grossing games in January after ending third in December. These titles, though very similar to their base games for the Nintendo DS, depict the future of the world presented in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, allowing players to see the extent of the region’s growth across two games.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is on track to become one of the highest-grossing games in the series’ history. Fans can indulge in all the game has to offer by purchasing a physical copy of it or digitally through the Nintendo eShop.
