The Nintendo Switch has had a successful run over the last several years, and Splatoon 3 is the latest game to achieve a significant landmark quickly after its debut. Even though Splatoon 3 was released before Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, it has achieved an astounding level of acclaim.
There was a plethora of options for Nintendo Switch players in the latter part of the year, with the arrival of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Bayonetta 3, as well as the newest Pokemon game. Notwithstanding its many technical issues, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet broke sales figures by moving 10 million copies in only three days.
Even if Splatoon 3’s profits aren’t as astounding as Pokemon’s, they’re still rather remarkable. A Nintendo earnings statement states that 10 million copies of Splatoon 3 were distributed in the first three months. Given that players of the first Splatoon may have a similar encounter from the sequel, which is also available for the same system, this is an impressive figure. Fans, though, seem to have warmed up to the game after its developers released a number of patches and added refinement to the gameplay and presentation.
When compared to its counterparts, Splatoon 3 is clearly the winner. The poor sales of Wii U systems probably contributed to the fact that the previous Splatoon on the Wii U failed to sell five million copies. Overall, Splatoon 2 was a success, selling approximately 13 million copies. 
Though Splatoon 3 shipped as many copies in its first three months as Splatoon 2 did in its entire lifetime, Splatoon 2 required almost three years to get there.
Potentially helping Splatoon 3 was the fact that the Nintendo Switch wasn’t widely used until later in the year. The Switch has always been popular, but the recent epidemic caused a surge in sales as many bought the device to pass the time while they were housebound. Many of them may have wanted to play Splatoon 2, but they probably waited till Splatoon 3 came out instead since the sequel was already far into its lifespan.
Players are clearly having a blast in Splitsville, despite the game’s flaws. Regular Splatfest and Big Run events, as well as quarterly releases of the game’s library, give gamers enough to do throughout the year. Despite a rocky debut as a fresh Property on Nintendo’s worst-performing gaming systems, Splatoon has established a dedicated fan base on the Switch.
