UK: Pokemon Sword/Shield biggest exclusive of the year, third biggest boxed launch of 2019, second biggest Pokemon launch ever

Preliminary sales information is in from the UK for Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, courtesy of GamesIndustry.

First, let’s go over the facts. The latest Pokemon entry is the biggest exclusive of the year, the third biggest boxed launch of 2019 (behind the multiplatform titles FIFA 20 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare), and the second biggest Pokemon launch ever.

Pokemon Sword, Shield, and the Double Pack are all listed separately on the UK charts. They debuted at #1, #3, and #7 respectively. From here on out, percentages in parenthesis are what the numbers would be if you counted this version as double (as it includes both games).

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield sold 33 percent (or 43 percent) more than Black and White on DS. Furthermore, they sold 53 percent (or 64.6 percent) more than Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu / Eevee.

Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon are still at the top for the franchise as a whole. Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are 39 percent (or 34.5 percent) lower than those 3DS titles. One important note: digital sales have been on the rise over the past few years, and Pokemon Sword/Shield’s eShop sales are not factored here.

Here’s an early look at the latest UK chart:

Source