Sakura Wars Has Officially Shipped Over Four Million Units

The Sakura Wars franchise has officially sold over four million units, according to a recent press release from Sega.

The news comes after the release of the latest game in the popular Japanese steampunk franchise, Project Sakura Wars (also known as Shin Sakura Taisen), which was released in Japan for the PlayStation 4 on December 11. Following the release, Sega announced that the multi-media franchise had surpassed a sales milestone, with over 4 million units cumulatively shipped out in Japan.

Despite Sakura Wars’ Western popularity, and the release of the English localization of Sakura Wars V: Farewell, My Lovely (also known by its localization name Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love), the Sega announcement highlighted Japanese sales, so Western sales were likely not included in this achievement. Still, shipping 4 million units are no small achievement and is certainly nothing to scoff at.

An article from Twinfinite hypothesized that in order to reach the 4 million mark, Project Sakura Wars had to have shipped at least 200,000 units on December 11. After all, a press release from earlier this April reported that the Sakura Wars franchise had shipped out 3.8 million units by that date.

The latest entry in the Sakura Wars franchise, Project Sakura Wars is the sixth installment and soft reboot of the series. The last title in the series, Sakura Wars V: Farewell, My Lovely, was released back in 2005 to strong reviews, but poor sales numbers. Five years later, the game was localized for Western audiences and faced a similar fate.

However, this new game comes after a revitalized interest in the franchise, speared by years of fan campaigns. The new game features a team of both veteran and new Sakura Wars designers and developers. The plot takes place in a fictional version of Japan’s Taishō period (1940) and combines ARPG, dating simulator, and visual novel elements in play. An anime adaptation of the game has already been announced, planned for a 2020 release.

Project Sakura Wars is currently available in Japan and is scheduled for a Western release sometime in 2020. The game has been developed and published by Sega and will be available for the PlayStation 4.

Source: Twinfinite