With the game recently receiving a brand new update that allows players to swim for the first time in the series' history, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is still easily one of the most popular games in current circulation. Players seemingly can't get enough of its addictive core gameplay loop, with more and more creative uses of the title's systems landing on social media each and every day.
It seems that rampant popularity translates entirely to financial success as well, with New Horizons recently smashing yet another huge sales record over in Japan. According to reports, the global phenomenon is now the best-selling physical Switch game in the country, surpassing Super Smash Bros Ultimate which was originally in first place.
The stat itself comes from Famitsu Magazine's weekly Japanese chart estimates, which claim that New Horizons has currently shifted a whopping 5 million physical copies of the game. The title it superseded, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, is currently sitting at just over 3.7 million, while Pokemon Sword and Shield takes the bronze medal with a little over 3.6 million. All in all, it's clear that Animal Crossing New Horizons remains a major success worldwide, with the game generating some significant financial figures as well as near-universal acclaim from its fans.
Famitsu's weekly sales charts also revealed that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has returned to the number 1 spot over 3 months after its debut. While the game did take a dip following the release of The Last of Us 2, which continues to dominate in countries like the US and the UK, it seems Sony's post-apocalyptic powerhouse has dropped back down to fourth place in Japan since last week. Naturally, it's worth remembering that these are purely physical sales, however, it's interesting to see how much influence Animal Crossing has with audiences as they continue to preserve its place at the top of the chart.
Of course, Animal Crossing: New Horizon's newest update is likely a major incentive for fans waiting on picking up the game, so it's likely that has a lot to do with its resurgence in sales. Not only will the major new additions allow players to meet brand new characters - including an inquisitive otter character named Pascal - but it will also add wetsuits to the game which provide the ability to swim in the ocean. This is a huge deal for the franchise as a whole, with no previous games in the series offering the unique mechanic.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Nintendo Switch.
Source: Famitsu
