Announced by surprise for Pokémon’s 25th anniversary, Pokémon Legends: Arceus became one of the series’ biggest hits within a few months. A look back at its announcement, its release, the press reception and its sales figures.
The announcement, for the franchise’s 25th anniversary
On February 27, 2021, Pokémon Day and the franchise’s 25th anniversary, The Pokémon Company presented two major announcements: the remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and a game of a brand-new kind, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, developed by Game Freak. The idea was a surprise: exploring Sinnoh in the distant past, at a time when Trainers and the Pokémon League did not yet exist, across vast wild expanses. Our article at the time broke down this announcement: Pokémon Legends: Arceus, a major change for the main series.
The following months revealed the Hisuian forms, the Alpha Pokémon and the final evolutions of the starter Pokémon, through trailers that we followed one by one (see the game on Pokémon France).
The release
The game came out on January 28, 2022 on Nintendo Switch, worldwide. Several small updates followed in the weeks after, then, on February 27, 2022, the big free update Daybreak, which added dozens of hours of content. Details on versions and editions are in the spec sheet.
Press reception
| Outlet | Score |
|---|---|
| Famitsu | 38/40 |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 16/20 |
| Nintendo Life | 9/10 |
| IGN | 7/10 |
| Metacritic average | 83/100 (116 reviews) |
Critics praised above all the novelty of the formula: rewarding exploration, addictive catching, a sense of scale never felt before in the series. The complaints focus on the technical side: a world some found empty and lacking detail, and underwhelming graphics. Eurogamer summed up this dual view well by describing it as fragile, addictive and thrilling in its novelty. Our press roundup for release week: review roundup of a game that keeps its promises; our own opinion: the review.
Sales
| Period | Worldwide sales |
|---|---|
| First week | More than 6.5 million copies |
| Japan, first three days | 1.43 million copies |
| As of March 31, 2022 (release fiscal year) | 12.64 million copies |
| As of March 31, 2023 | 14.83 million copies |
In the United States, Pokémon Legends: Arceus was the best-selling game of January 2022. With 14.83 million copies as of March 31, 2023, it became the best-selling Pokémon game among those released in a single version, with no twin edition.
A lasting legacy
The success of Pokémon Legends: Arceus opened a new branch of the main series. Its formula, real-time catching, free exploration and a research Pokédex, has fed into the games that followed, up to Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which carries on the “Legends” name for an adventure in Lumiose City. The game also runs on Nintendo Switch 2, with identical behavior to the Switch version.
