Nintendo shares pop 7% after 'Pokémon Pokopia' sales top 5 million

Nintendo's stock jumped 7% in Tokyo trading on Friday, August 14, 2026, after the company announced that sales of "Pokémon Pokopia" on the Switch 2 console exceeded 5 million units. The milestone was reached just over four months after the game's March 5 launch, according to Nintendo's disclosure on Thursday.

The sales figure places "Pokémon Pokopia" as the second-best-selling title on the Switch 2, ahead of "Donkey Kong Bananza" but behind "Mario Kart World." The game, first revealed in September 2025, was not initially expected to be a massive hit because it is a spin-off from the main Pokémon series. Its gameplay borrows elements from "Animal Crossing," one of Nintendo's most successful franchises on the original Switch.

Investors closely track game sales because blockbuster titles often drive demand for Nintendo's hardware. The Switch 2 has faced challenges, including rising memory prices that forced Nintendo to raise the console's price after its launch just over a year ago. In the June quarter, Nintendo sold 3.82 million Switch 2 units, a 34.4% decline from the same period a year earlier. The company projects sales of 16.5 million Switch 2 consoles for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027, which would also be lower than the previous year.

To sustain momentum, Nintendo announced expansion packs and updates for "Pokémon Pokopia" on Thursday, aiming to attract new players and retain existing ones. The company also plans to release "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," a remake of the Nintendo 64 classic from the late 1990s, on the Switch 2. Two new Pokémon games are scheduled for next year, leveraging two of Nintendo's most popular franchises.

Despite Friday's gain, Nintendo shares remain down more than 16% for the year. However, the stock has rallied over 26% in the past month as investors bet on an improving outlook and the potential for upcoming games to boost console sales.