Metroid Dread only came out on October 8th, but it has already had the most successful launch of any game in the series thus far. The latest Metroid game has received rave reviews for delivering everything that the 2D Metroid games are known for, and then some.
In the months leading up to its release, Metroid Dread received more marketing than any other Metroid game. Multiple trailers for the game were released outside of Nintendo Directs, and Metroid Dread was even advertised in Tokyo train stations. Nintendo’s promotion of Metroid Dread is thought to have contributed to the game’s success thus far.
The sales for the week of October 9th are detailed in a listing from Gamesindustry.biz. Metroid Dread is listed as the third highest-selling game for that week, and while exact sales figures are still unknown, Gamesindustry.biz claims it is the fastest-selling Metroid game to date, surpassing Metroid Prime on the GameCube. Metroid Prime remains the fastest-selling Metroid title by boxed titles, but Metroid Dread remains the highest-grossing Metroid title at launch when the exact digital sales are unknown.
Given the number of pre-orders Metroid Dread received on sites like Amazon and Gamestop, these sales figures aren’t entirely surprising. Pre-order sales for Metroid Dread were significantly higher than for any other Metroid game up to that point after it was announced during Nintendo’s E3 2021 presentation.
This could be due to a variety of factors, including the way Metroid Dread was presented at E3, and the gaming climate today is different from it was during the GameCube era when games that sold poorly went on to become cult classics many years later.
But, for whatever reason, the stars aligned for Metroid Dread to be as successful as it is now. This is the first time the series has reached a large audience since Metroid Prime and possibly the first time in the series’ history.
Fans’ imitation of Metroid Dread is fortunately not having a negative impact on overall sales. This is the kind of boost Metroid has needed for a long time, and the success of Metroid Dread gives hope that the upcoming Metroid Prime 4 will have similar sales figures when it is fully revealed sometime in the future.
