Splatoon 3's sales figures are in, and the game is already boasting an impressive 3.45 million units sold in Japan within the first three days following its release. Splatoon 3 is the latest title in Nintendo's popular third-person shooter franchise. Following five years after the events of Splatoon 2, the latest title sees the Inklings and Octolings engage in a new splatfest, except this time a new faction has entered the game in the form of Splatoon 3's Mammalians.
Apart from the introduction of the Mammalians, Splatoon 3 has plenty of other new features to make its multiplayer more exciting. There were plenty of Special Weapons added to the game, including the Zipcaster, which transforms an Inkling into a ninja that can swing themselves from wall to wall. Also, as revealed in the Splatoon 3 Nintendo Direct, there's a whole new game mode available in the form of Tableturf Battle, which is a card-based minigame.
While there was plenty of hype around the launch of Splatoon 3, especially considering the successes of the franchise's past, it seems that the launch of the third game in the series has proven to be even more successful than first predicted. As mentioned, at the time of writing, Nintendo is reporting that Splatoon 3 has sold over 3.45 million units in Japan within the first three days of release. This marks an incredible figure for launch sales both in regards to the Splatoon series and the Nintendo Switch as a whole.
When Splatoon 2 first launched, it managed to garner 3.61 million units sold worldwide within its first quarter, according to Nintendo's earnings report for 2017. In Japan, Splatoon 2 only shipped about 648,000 copies within the first few days of its launch. Seeing the 3.45 million Splatoon 3 has already sold in that country, this means that within the same time frame, the new game is well ahead of the sales curve of its predecessor. Also, this makes Splatoon 3 the fastest-selling Switch game in Japan, showing just how the franchise has managed to expand its popularity with each entry. Nintendo has certainly tried to cater to new fans with Splatoon 3, but that doesn't mean that the long-time players have been left out.
Those who have played through Splatoon 2 and are currently playing Splatoon 3 enjoy certain ranked benefits, inlcuding their rank carrying over from the previous game. Also, veteran players will get to unlock any weapon, regardless of their level. It seems that by combining rewards for returning fans and an ease of access for newcomers, Nintendo has concocted a recipe for sales success for Splatoon 3.
Splatoon 3 is available now exclusively for Nintendo Switch.