Animal Crossing is most sold Nintendo Switch title ever in Japan, by a lot

Just a week after its fifth birthday, a list of the most sold titles in the history of Nintendo Switch in Japan has been released, and taking the top spot is 2020 quarantine hit and long-awaited franchise follow-up Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The game, which launched in the heart of the pandemic back in March 2020, has since gone on to sell 7,183,333 copies in the country, according to a Famitsu Magazine report, which makes it Japan’s most sold Switch game to date.

Upon release, Animal Crossing: New Horizon quickly rose to the top of the sales charts, where it remained only slowing down due to the Nintendo Switch console shortage that took place during that year.

To claim the spot as Japan’s most sold Switch game it had to beat out tough competition, but it did this by a landslide. Coming in second was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with 4.7 million units sold. Rounding out the top five were Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokémon Sword and Shield, and Splatoon 2, all coming in over the 4 million mark.

It isn’t clear how long the Nintendo Switch has left in its lifecycle before a new device comes around, however, Animal Crossing will likely remain the holder of the top spot for a long time, or potentially the rest of the console generation.

The game received DLC content as recently as November 2021, but this was said to be its one and only addition. No further content is expected for the game. New Horizons is available both digitally and in stores.