Fire Emblem Warriors Struggles on New Nintendo 3DS Amid Strong Switch Performance in UK Charts

As the holiday season ramps up and major video game releases flood the market, the competition for chart positions intensifies considerably.

This past week, the UK video game charts revealed a mixed bag for Nintendo, spotlighting both the enduring popularity of key Switch titles and the underwhelming launch of Fire Emblem Warriors on the New Nintendo 3DS. Released by Koei Tecmo and Omega Force, Fire Emblem Warriors debuted on both the Nintendo Switch and New Nintendo 3DS on October 20, 2017.

The hack-and-slash action title combines the fast-paced gameplay of the Warriors series with characters and worlds from Nintendo’s beloved Fire Emblem franchise.

While anticipation was high, the game’s sales performance diverged sharply across Nintendo’s platforms. According to the latest chart results, Sony’s Gran Turismo: Sport took the number one spot, overtaking FIFA 18.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole and WWE 2K18 followed closely, with Nintendo’s best performer being Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, holding strong in 15th place on the all-format UK charts.

Notably, Fire Emblem Warriors did not meet expectations as the top-selling Nintendo title during its launch week, landing in 16th place overall.

The majority of those sales were attributed to the Nintendo Switch version, highlighting the platform’s growing dominance. However, the New Nintendo 3DS version of Fire Emblem Warriors failed to make a significant impact, finishing 16th in the 3DS-only chart.

This lackluster position suggests that either limited retail availability or diminished interest among portable console users hampered its success—especially when excluding digital eShop downloads, which are not reflected in these results.

Clear from these figures is that Fire Emblem Warriors relied heavily on its Switch release to establish a foothold in the market. Elsewhere, Nintendo’s evergreen Switch titles continued to perform respectably.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle ranked 20th, while The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (also available on Wii U) held 22nd, bolstered predominantly by Switch sales.

Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition reached 34th, with Splatoon 2 in 39th and the 3DS-exclusive Miitopia just maintaining a presence in 40th.

Multi-platform releases showed a similar pattern: for both LEGO Worlds and LEGO City: Undercover, the Switch editions led sales among their respective versions. FIFA 18 on Switch ranked 31st in the single-format charts, trailing its PlayStation 4 and Xbox One counterparts but notably outselling last-generation releases for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Though not a breakout success, this achievement marks a small yet valuable win for Nintendo’s hybrid hardware in a fiercely competitive market. In summary, while Nintendo Switch continues to build momentum with strong catalog performance, the muted launch of Fire Emblem Warriors on New Nintendo 3DS underscores the shifting sales dynamic in the Nintendo ecosystem.

Next week’s release of Super Mario Odyssey is poised to further shake up the charts, promising to sustain Nintendo’s robust presence at retail as the year’s busiest shopping period approaches.

Fire Emblem Warriors Nintendo Nintendo Switch New Nintendo 3DS UK charts Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Super Mario Odyssey The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition Splatoon 2 Miitopia LEGO Worlds LEGO City: Undercover FIFA 18