Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope has reportedly sold nearly 3 million copies to date, exceeding expectations and its humble beginnings on the sales charts. The report arrives courtesy of VGC, which claimed the game’s steady growth was due to frequent sales on the Nintendo eShop.
Notably, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle had a similar path to success, with this game selling 10 million copies over a period of several years, buoyed by a variety of sales and growing awareness of the Mario + Rabbids brand. Per VGC‘s sources, the current success of Sparks of Hope matches that of Kingdom Battle, suggesting it could also hit the 10 million sold mark in the coming years.
It’s a major achievement for the game, considering it was almost immediately dismissed on launch. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope was reportedly a financial disappointment for Ubisoft, and forced the company to reconsider its strategic operations in 2023.
“We are clearly disappointed by our recent performance. We are facing contrasted market dynamics as the industry continues to shift towards mega-brands and everlasting live games, in the context of worsening economic conditions affecting consumer spending,” Yves Guillemot, co-founder and CEO of Ubisoft said in January 2023.
Read: Ubisoft cancels three new games, cites economic challenges
“Despite excellent ratings and players’ reception as well as an ambitious marketing plan, we were surprised by Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope underperformance in the final weeks of 2022 and early January … Therefore, with the approval of the Board of Directors, we are taking additional important strategic and operational decisions.”
Later, Ubisoft spoke more positively about the future of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, with series producer Cristina Nava claiming it would sell well over a longer period of time, and that patience was needed.
“Even though it’s Mario, it’s also a genre game: turn-based tactical adventure. So we cannot expect to sell high numbers at the very beginning, because a game like that is a slow burner,” Nava told VGC in late 2023. “Even if at the beginning it seemed like Sparks of Hope didn’t meet expectations, we are confident that over a number of years it will grow. Because it’s been received, by both the press and the public, very, very well. It’s just a matter of giving it time, with word of mouth etc.”
It appears this prediction was largely accurate, as Mario + Rabbid Sparks of Hope has earned a growing audience over its last year-and-a-half on sale. With more word of mouth, and more of those tempting Nintendo eShop sales, it appears Sparks of Hope will eventually become the success Ubisoft projected it would be. Whether its rise will inspire renewed talks of a sequel, or future expansions, remains to be seen.
