What you need to know
- The NPD group published the results for October 2021.
- Metroid Dread was the third best-selling game of the month, while the Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console.
- Nintendo also confirmed that Metroid Dread has sold 854,000 copies so far.
Metroid Dread was the third best-selling game in the U.S. in October 2021, per the NPD group. Analyst Mat Piscatella noted on Twitter that despite only tracking physical copies sold, the game only came in behind Far Cry 6 and Back 4 Blood, which took the first and second spots respectively. Metroid Dread also had the best launch of the franchise, notable for a series that hasn't historically sold well, per our Metroid retrospective.
The Nintendo Switch was also the best-selling console in units and dollar sales, driven by the launch of the Nintendo Switch OLED. Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser confirmed via Washington Post that Metroid Dread sold 854,000 copies in October, while over 314,000 Nintendo Switch OLED units were sold.
"So we think this is a solid start for the OLED model," Bowser explained. "We also think this is a very strong indicator of the performance we can expect as we go through the holiday season."
The Nintendo Switch previously saw a 33-month streak as the best-selling console in the U.S, briefly interrupted in September 2021 by the PS5.
October 2021 NPD: Here are the top 20 games sold in the U.S.
Here's the top 20 games sold in the U.S. in the month of October 2021. As always, this is in dollar sales, not units sold.
- Far Cry 6
- Back 4 Blood
- Metroid Dread*
- Madden NFL 22
- Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles
- FIFA 22
- Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
- Mario Party Superstars*
- NHL 22
- NBA 2K22*
- Mario Kart 8*
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
- Minecraft
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Diablo 2: Resurrected
- Mortal Kombat 11
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
*Digital sales not included.
A sequel years in the making
The long-rumored 2D Metroid is actually real and is coming very, very soon. Players will finally get to see a new chapter in the story of Samus Aran.
