Animal Crossing: New Horizonsbecame a smash-hit last year, breaking multiple sales records around the world. Fast forward to 2021, and the lighthearted life sim continues to break new records, just about a full year after its initial release.
Nintendo’sAnimal Crossing: New Horizonslaunched on June 08, 2025. The island life simulator title was met with universal acclaim, with fans and critics unable to find any particularly glaring shortcomings. The game officially turns one-year old this coming Saturday, and fans are highly anticipatingAnimal Crossing: New Horizons' upcoming anniversary update, which promises new features, seasonal items, and more.
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The record hails from the EU, whereAnimal Crossing: New Horizonshas broken Nintendo of Europe’s one-year sales record, selling an astounding 7 million units since launch. According to info Nintendo shared with GamesIndustry.biz, theACNHsales account for roughly one-third of all Switch owners in Europe. Looking at Nintendo’s investor site, this puts total sales figures for the game at a little over 31 million copies, meaning about 24 million copies have been sold in other regions.Super Smash Bros. Ultimatehad previously set a short-term launch sales record in Europe in 2018, although Nintendo isn’t clear on if the title also held the full one-year record.
While 7 million copies sold is certainly an impressive sales figure, a single country alone has managed to sell 6 million. Outselling literally every single other Switch title,Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis the best-ever selling Switch game in Japan, beating out other IP originals likeSplatoon 2andMario Kart 8 Deluxe. Several factors likely contributed to the latestAnimal Crossing’s success, beyond the series' acclaim and general popularity. The title released three years after the Switch’s launch, meaning a much larger player base from the beginning. Coupled with people having to quarantine because of COVID-19,Animal Crossing: New Horizonsacted as a way to stay connected as well as a de-stressor for plenty of gamers.
It’s also helped that the title has received a steady stream of new content as well. It made waves when it was announced thatACNHwas gettingSuper Mario Bros35th anniversary content, featuring functional warp pipes, question blocks and other iconic items. Now,Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis getting a Sanrio collaboration pack, featuring a number of Sanrio-inspired villagers and items including Cinnamoroll and Hello Kitty. However, the big catch with the latest content drop is that it has to be purchased at Target, via an Amiibo card. Players will have to act fast if they want to ensure they get their preferred Sanrio character’s card.
While Nintendo is seeing the most financial success it’s had since the Wii, the gaming giant is the furthest thing from slowing down. A new report reveals thatNintendo expects to break software sales recordsthis coming fiscal year, which begins in April. The company plans on shipping a whopping 250 million units, and cites unnanounced “marquee game releases” and “blockbuster software” as the reasoning for its bold projection. With rumors of theBreath of the Wildsequel and a Switch Pro model looming, gamers will want to keep a close eye on the big N in the coming months.
