Nintendo’s stock surged nearly 20% following the blockbuster debut of “Poco a Pokémon,” which has sold over 2.2 million units worldwide in just four days.
The latest installment in Nintendo’s consistently popular game series, released on March 5th for the Nintendo Switch 2, has quickly turn into a commercial phenomenon. According to Forbes JAPAN, approximately half of those sales came from the Japanese market.
The success of “Poco a Pokémon” sent Nintendo’s stock price soaring this week, though it remains about 30% below its November 2025 levels. The game’s unexpected performance has already made it the fourth best-selling title on the Switch 2.
“Nobody was expecting this,” said Joost van Dreunen, CEO of game consulting firm Aldra and a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, in a statement to Forbes JAPAN. “It’s a huge surprise.”
Van Dreunen noted that the game’s success is particularly impressive because it’s a spin-off title, not a core entry in the Pokémon series. The game’s popularity underscores the enduring appeal of the Pokémon franchise and Nintendo’s ability to deliver hit titles.
Nintendo announced the sales figures on March 12, 2026, revealing the impressive four-day total of 2.2 million units sold globally. Nintendo’s official news release details the game as a “sluggish-life sandbox” experience where players cooperate with Pokémon to build and enrich a town, starring a Metamon who transforms into a human form.
Developed jointly by The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, and Koei Tecmo Games, “Poco a Pokémon” offers a unique gameplay experience centered around crafting, gathering, and community building. Nintendo also offers the “Nintendo Switch” app for parents to monitor their children’s gaming activity.
