The new Pokémon Legends: Z-A is just over a week old and has elicited various reactions from fans, some of whom refuse to buy the game while others are having a wonderful time in Illumina. Whether loved or hated, a number released by the Pokémon Company speaks for itself.
What has the Pokémon Company announced? In a press release from the Pokémon Company dated October 24, 2025, CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara announced that the latest title in the Pokémon series sold 5.8 million copies worldwide in its first week after release. About half of these sales were for the Nintendo Switch 2 version. This figure includes both physical and digital versions of the game.
A solid number that indicates success despite criticism of the game’s graphics. Nevertheless, the game could not match the number of its predecessor, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which sold 6.5 million copies in its first week.
Here you can see the trailer for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which has already been played by nearly 6 million players in its first week:
Sales figures indicate what to expect from future games
What does the number say about the game? The game’s sales figures provide direct feedback for the Pokémon Company and Nintendo, which may be more meaningful than some player feedback, at least according to the community:
“[They] will never invest much money in a Pokémon game if they achieve such numbers,” writes Small-Olive-7960 on Reddit, garnering a lot of agreement with the statement.
“This is really unfortunate for us Pokémon fans who wish for an improvement in the franchise. There is literally no financial incentive for them to improve their games,” writes derekpmilly on Reddit, “Even if everyone stopped buying Pokémon games, millions of copies would still be sold to children who don’t know any better.”
What does the number mean for the Nintendo Switch 2? Players are surprised that the version for the Nintendo Switch 2 sold as well as the version for the 1, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that half of all players of Pokémon Legends: Z-A are actually playing on the Switch 2. The Switch 2 version can also be played on the old console, which was not known to many players based on reactions on Reddit.
Player Lachlan_4567 reports on Reddit that he knows several people who are buying the version for Switch 2 to secure themselves in case they might own the new console later on.
Important! Games for the Nintendo Switch 2 only work on the old Switch if they are not exclusive to Switch 2 but are also available for the old Switch.
Even in the MeinMMO editorial team, there are fans who invest many hours into the new Pokémon Legends: Z-A and have a lot of fun. MeinMMO editor Niko has already spent over 30 hours in the game and understands the criticism of the game, but he personally felt comfortable in Illumina: After 30 hours with Pokémon Legends: Z-A, I must say: The game is a damn fun RPG despite all the flaws
