This is the game that broke Animal Crossing: New Horizons' incredible run at the top of the eShop charts

(Image credit: Mojang)

Much like the year 2020, I figured there was no end in sight to Animal Crossing: New Horizons' domination of the Nintendo eShop, but it turns out all it took was another family-friendly franchise with a devoted fan base to kick Nintendo's island sim off the top spot: Minecraft Dungeons.

"Minecraft Dungeons has ended Animal Crossings Run as the best selling game on the US eShop," tweeted self-described independent video Game industry analyst, BenjiSales (thanks, DualShockers). 

"Animal Crossing New Horizons had been #1 since early March. That's 3 months of dominance. As we are seeing on Xbox, Minecraft Dungeons is performing very strong, and is now #1 on Switch."

But it's not just in one territory, either. As well as clinching the top spot in the US eShop, Nintendo Life reports it's also top of the eShop charts in Japan and Europe, too.

In related news, Minecraft Dungeons' first DLC, Jungle Awakens, is expected to release in July, according to an update from developer Mojang. Sadly, there was no solid confirmation on the second DLC offering, Creeping Winter, but Mojang did say it'll be "coming later this year".

"As a more approachable entry point for the hack and slash genre that levels the playing field against its brawnier contemporaries, Minecraft Dungeons succeeds wholeheartedly, filling a gap in the market in a way that only a Mojang creation could," we said in the 12DOVE Minecraft Dungeons review. "But those achievements aren't enough to avoid the sense of feeling a little shortchanged by Dungeons' light touch, with the base game only just meeting the bare minimum of what is typically expected from an action-RPG in terms of content, replay value, and player progression. 

"Even so, the block-based hacking and slashing is fun while it lasts, and no doubt addictive for some, with enough flair and polish to easily recommend it to any intrigued Minecraft player, and even those possessing no history with the franchise whatsoever. Just make sure you've brushed up on your Creeper lore before rushing headfirst into a pack of them, or you might regret the outcome."

Check out our big guide to upcoming Xbox Series X games.

Vikki Blake
Weekend Reporter, 12DOVE

Vikki Blake is 12DOVE's Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.