One in Five Switch 2 Players Own Pokémon Pokopia

Pokémon Pokopia’s success is hardly surprising, considering the warm reception it garnered from both critics and players at launch. It boasts an impressive average critic score of 89 and a user score of 8.7 on Metacritic. Additionally, 97% of critics on OpenCritic recommend it, and it holds a perfect player rating of 100. Those are some standout numbers, and our review even described it as a “charming life sim.”

When you look at the sales figures, the achievement becomes even more remarkable. Over five million players have picked up Pokémon Pokopia, which accounts for 21% of the Nintendo Switch 2’s 23.68 million owners. This makes it the second-best-selling game on the console, trailing only Mario Kart World, which has sold 15 million copies. However, it’s worth noting that Mario Kart World was bundled with the Switch 2 at launch, raising questions about how that impacts its sales figures.

Pokémon Pokopia was a bold move by The Pokémon Company. While the franchise is massive, this is the first official game that emphasizes community building and the relationships between different Pokémon. It’s like a blend of Animal Crossing and Dragon Quest Builders 2, the latter being a hit from developer Koei Tecmo Omega Force in 2018.

The first DLC for Pokopia was recently released, introducing the Bubbly Basin region along with a host of new Pokémon to discover. Most of these are water-types, fitting for the underwater setting, and thanks to Manaphy, players can now dive and explore beneath the surface. A second DLC is on the way, set to launch later in 2026, which will add clothing and accessories for Pokémon.

Bubbly Basin is a blast—once you wrap up your chores!