While 2026 hasn’t seen a flagship Pokémon release, it has undeniably been a monumental year for the iconic series. February marked Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, coinciding with the launch of Pokémon Pokopia, a charming spin-off heavily inspired by the Dragon Quest Builders formula. As part of the anniversary festivities, Nintendo also treated fans to long-awaited Switch ports of the beloved Game Boy Advance classics, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.
Nintendo’s latest financial report, released this past Friday, offers a fascinating look at the franchise’s enduring market strength. If anyone doubted the lasting appeal of both vintage and contemporary Pokémon experiences, these numbers provide a clear answer: Pokopia became an immediate hit on the Switch 2, moving over 4 million units within its first five weeks.
Image: NintendoInterestingly, the FireRed and LeafGreen ports achieved nearly identical sales figures over the same timeframe—a testament to the powerful allure of nostalgia among the fanbase, especially considering they launched just a week prior to Pokopia.
While a direct comparison between the titles isn’t entirely equitable—given the original Switch’s massive install base of 155 million versus the Switch 2’s burgeoning 20 million, not to mention the $19.99 price point for the remakes versus the $69.99 premium for Pokopia—the data confirms that over 4 million trainers are eagerly revisiting these classic adventures.
As industry analyst Joe Merrick highlighted on X, these additional Switch sales have propelled the lifetime performance of FireRed and LeafGreen to 16 million units. They have now firmly established themselves among the top 10 best-selling Pokémon games. With Pokémon Diamond and Pearl currently holding fifth place at 17.67 million, it is entirely plausible that these remakes will continue their ascent.
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Meanwhile, the latest mainline installment, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, has reached 12.79 million copies sold, with a healthy split of 8.85 million on the original Switch and 3.94 million on the Switch 2. As Merrick noted in a follow-up on X, Legends: Z-A is currently tracking similarly to Legends: Arceus, which stands at 15 million lifetime sales.
In other news from the financial report, Nintendo disclosed that the price for the Switch 2 is set to rise to $499.99 later this year. The console initially launched last June at $449.99, though the previously available Mario Kart World bundle had been positioned at the $499.99 price point.
Source: Polygon
