This game came out back in April 2023 after a year-long delay due to unforeseen geopolitical circumstances, and that delay almost certainly helped cause [these lackluster sales figures](https://workingcasual.com/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-super-mario-bros-movie-catapult-nintendo-results-to-record-highs-in-2024-q1/), in addition to being released only a few weeks ahead of Tears of the Kingdom and only a few *days* before Xenoblade 3’s Future Redeemed expansion.
The game reportedly sold 400K copies within its first week, but I can’t find a reliable source to corroborate that figure. And this wasn’t an eShop-only title like the Famicom Detective Club remakes either, this got a full retail release. In general the Advance Wars series was never a high seller, with the sales peak in the West being the GBA original with 700K copies sold (according to VGChartz so take with a massive grain of salt). It also has virtually no presence in Japan, both due to repeated cancellations and extremely limited availability. Not even this package is coming to Japan.
As a fan of the series and this remake, this is disheartening, though not terribly surprising given the circumstances surrounding the initial release. Seeing the mixed reactions to the new art style, plus the $60 price tag for a relatively niche IP, plus Fire Emblem Engage still being fresh in people’s minds, *and* Zelda and Pikmin ready to take the summer by storm altogether ensured that this was not going to take off. It sounds cliche, but you hate to see it. I wouldn’t be surprised if the big delay and the whatever sales numbers convince Nintendo to not invest in the series again for a very long time.