The latest title in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, continues to build upon this legacy with impressive sales performance, selling over 18.51 million units globally as of June 30, 2023. This open-world title, lauded by fans and critics alike, has quickly become one of Nintendo’s top performers, accounting for nearly half of all first-party software sales during the first quarter of the current fiscal year.
Nintendo made These updated sales statistics public during its recent quarterly earnings briefing (Source). The sales velocity of Tears of the Kingdom has been breathtaking, selling over 10 million units within the first three days of release. This trend has been sustained, with sales continuing at an impressive rate since its launch.
As the ninth highest-selling first-party Switch game, Super Mario Party is currently outpaced by less than a million units by Tears of the Kingdom. However, considering its recency, the title will likely ascend further in this ranking.
Interestingly, Nintendo revealed that the “primary driver” for sales was individuals who had previously played the game’s predecessor, Breath of the Wild. However, Nintendo also reported a growing sales trend made by those who have yet to experience the 2017 title. This trend suggests that Tears of the Kingdom has attracted new franchise players.
With the success of Tears of the Kingdom, questions arise about whether it will surpass the lifetime sales of Breath of the Wild, which currently stands at over 30 million units sold. In addition to the exciting sales numbers for Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo disclosed that the Nintendo Switch console has sold over 129.5 million units worldwide. The continued success of the console is undoubtedly a significant factor in the remarkable performance of Tears of the Kingdom.
