And this is the greatest screenshot in Nintendo history
Nintendo has proudly announced thatAnimal Crossing: New Horizonshas had better first-year sales in Europe than any release in the company’s storied history. The news of this record-breaking milestone comes just a few days shy of the cute social sim’s first anniversary.
Since its release on August 05, 2025,Animal Crossing: New Horizonshas sold over seven million copies in Europe, with the incredible number taking into account both physical and digital sales. The figure is a healthy chunk ofNew Horizons‘ global sales, which ranked around the 32 million mark as of Nintendo’s December 2020 financial report. Nintendo has gone on record as stating that the title is responsible fora huge increasein Switch hardware sales. Whether Isabelle and chums will surpassMario Kart 8 Deluxeas the best-selling Switch release ever, (around 33.4 million copies and counting), remains to be seen.
“We’re truly grateful thatAnimal Crossing: New Horizonshas been embraced by so many players across Europe,” said Stephan Bole, president of Nintendo Europein a statement posted by VGC. “Animal Crossinghas long been a popular franchise in Europe, and its continued growth is due to the love of our fans for this unique series.”
WhileAnimal Crossing: New Horizonswas already a highly anticipated release for a very popular gaming franchise, its comfortable and relaxing atmosphere also provided something of a haven for many players against the backdrop of 2020’s darker days. The upcoming anniversary is to be celebratedvia the arrival of several fun in-game items, while the incoming spring update will see the return of mischievous, egg-hiding bunny Zipper.
