Nintendo revealed during its latest earnings report that Metroid Dread has sold 2.74 million copies on Switch as of December 31.
It’s hard to gauge how to feel about these numbers. Compared to other Switch games, it can fee low. The HD port of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, for example, has sold 3.85 million copies on Switch. That’s a rerelease of an older Wii title.
But Metroid has never been able to do Mario or Zelda numbers. No game in the series, despite its acclaim, has ever sold past the 3 million mark.
There was some hope for Metroid Dread, as it received positive reviews and launched on October 8 alongside the new Switch OLED model. Plus, with over 100 million Switch consoles out there, the giant install base has given most Nintendo franchises a nice boost when they debut on the console.
Alas, it seems that the Metroid ceiling still exists, for now. If Dread can continue to sell, it could eventually become the best-selling entry in the franchise, overtaking the original Metroid Prime. Otherwise, maybe Metroid Prime 4 will pass that mythical 3 million barrier.