The war between the homs and the mechon is now taking a back seat to another conflict, as Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has taken the top spot in the UK sales charts away from Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has seen unprecedented levels of success around the world. It's currently the sixth best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all-time, despite the fact that it has only been available for a few months. The COVID-19 situation helped Animal Crossing: New Horizons sell almost 14 million units around the world, as people look to Tom Nook's holiday package for escapism from the real world. The fact that the game is a social media darling – with fans sharing their creative works on Twitter and celebrities endorsing the game left and right – has also been a big factor in its success.
It seems that even the mighty Tom Nook cannot withstand the Monado's power, as Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been dethroned from the top spot of the UK sales charts by Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. According to Games Press (with sales figures assembled by GFK Entertainment), these sales figures only account for physical copies of each game, not digital.
It's likely that Shulk's time in the spotlight won't last long, however. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a fantastic game and it received a big promotional push from the Super Smash Bros. series, but it's not the kind of game that will light up the charts for weeks on end. It's likely that Animal Crossing: New Horizons will reclaim its former position next week.
It's crazy to think that there was a time when a North American release for the original Xenoblade Chronicles was in doubt, even though an English language version was already available in Europe (which explains the incredible Britishness of the voice cast). It took the efforts of the massive fan movement Operation Rainfall to bring the game to the US, which eventually led to Shulk appearing in Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U and to the success that Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is enjoying today.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition are available now for Nintendo Switch.
Source: Games Press