Castlevania Belmont's Curse Debuts Third in UK Charts

Entity Definition and Lead Dispatch

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is a Konami-published action title released on 15 October 2026 for PS5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series consoles, priced at $29.99 (~RM135) on the eShop and £24.98 (~RM140) at UK retail. In the UK physical charts for the week ending 17 October 2026, it debuted at No. 3 — behind EA Sports FC 27 (No. 1) and Control Resonant (No. 2) — with 45% of boxed sales on Switch, 50% on PS5 and 6% on Xbox Series. There is no native Switch 2 SKU, a point Nintendo Life commenters flagged immediately, and the Switch build runs at 30fps. For Malaysian and Southeast Asian players, the practical questions are straightforward: digital eShop purchase at roughly RM135 versus a UK import cartridge at RM140 plus freight, with no confirmed Asian multi-language SKU in the source data.

Key Facts

Where Did Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Debut in the UK Charts?

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse entered the UK physical chart at No. 3 for the week ending 17 October 2026, splitting 50% PS5, 45% Switch and 6% Xbox Series. It could not dislodge EA Sports FC 27, which held No. 1 with a 59% PS5 share, and it finished behind the new Control Resonant at No. 2.

The result makes Belmont's Curse the strongest Konami-branded physical launch in the top five that week, and the 45% Switch share is notable given the absence of a Switch 2 build. Switch 2 owners can play the Switch version through backwards compatibility, but they are buying last-generation code. The 6% Xbox Series slice is the weakest of the three formats, consistent with the broader UK boxed market's PlayStation-weighted pattern visible across the same top 40.

"Castlevania: Belmont's Curse debuted at No. 3 in the UK physical charts for the week ending 17 October 2026, with 45% of boxed sales on Switch, 50% on PS5 and 6% on Xbox Series."

Nintendo Life's chart report noted the wider pattern plainly:

"Nothing performed well enough to kick EA Sports FC 27 from the top spot, unfortunately, but Control Resonant arrived in second and Castlevania: Belmont's Curse whipped up a third-place debut, with 45% of sales coming from Switch."

— Nintendo Life, UK physical charts report, October 2026

How Did the Other New Releases Perform Alongside It?

Four other new entries landed in the top 40. Control Resonant took No. 2, Toy Story: Retro Roundup! + Toy Story 3 Complete Edition took No. 4, Fireshine Games' Valor Mortis took No. 9, Tales of Eternia: Remastered took No. 15 and Bluey's Happy Snaps took No. 34. Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] collapsed from No. 5 to No. 31.

Toy Story's 32% Switch 2 share and Tales of Eternia's 23% Switch 2 share both demonstrate that native current-generation Nintendo SKUs convert physical buyers at a materially higher rate than backwards-compatible Switch 1 copies. Control Resonant's No. 2 finish is more impressive for the fact that, as commenters on the chart report observed, its physical edition arrived roughly a month after the digital release.

"Toy Story: Retro Roundup! + Toy Story 3 Complete Edition drew 32% of its UK boxed sales from Switch 2, while Tales of Eternia: Remastered drew 23%, showing native Switch 2 SKUs convert boxed buyers far better than backwards-compatible Switch 1 copies."

What Performance Enhancements Does the Switch 2 Version Include?

There is no Switch 2 version of Castlevania: Belmont's Curse. The game runs at 30fps on Switch, and Switch 2 owners play that same build via backwards compatibility — although Konami's free demo, live since 1 October 2026, received a frame-rate boost when run on Switch 2 hardware.

The clearest Switch 2 technical story in the source material belongs to The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, which sits at No. 10 (GOTY Edition) and No. 14 (Complete Edition) in the same chart. A remastered patch, version 5.01, is live for Switch 2 and covers:

• Visual adjustments to bloom, tone mapping, character lighting, ray tracing and path tracing.
• New graphics settings options for bloom, light shafts and depth of field.
• General performance optimisations.
• A fix for dynamic resolution scaling artefacts in certain configurations.

Community reports in the same thread describe smoother frame delivery, no noticeable input lag and improved world and environment textures, with character models flagged as the remaining weak point even after the day-one patch. Those patch notes were posted by a reader rather than an official CD Projekt Red changelog, so treat the specifics as unverified until confirmed on official channels.

"Castlevania: Belmont's Curse has no native Switch 2 build and runs at 30fps on Switch, while The Witcher III's Switch 2 patch 5.01 adds ray tracing, path tracing, bloom, light shafts and depth-of-field options plus a dynamic resolution scaling fix."

What Are Players and Reviewers Saying About the Game?

Reaction in the Nintendo Life comment thread is sharply split between praise for the game's atmosphere and criticism of its soundtrack pacing and difficulty curve. One recurring complaint is the absence of a Switch 2 SKU; one recurring defence is that the Switch build plays cleanly without it.

"Castlevania Belmont's Curse is so dang good! Only thing lacking is the music, it's alright, but I feel it's too chill for Castlevania. I'm a third into the game and the difficulty spiked like crazy."

— Reader comment on Nintendo Life's UK charts report, October 2026

Abby Trott, who plays a Belmont in the title, discussed the role and her Smash Bros. theme recording in a separate Nintendo Life feature. Her headline quote captures the fandom intensity around the franchise:

"I lost my mind."

— Abby Trott, Belmont performer in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, in a Nintendo Life interview feature

Konami has also confirmed a 40th anniversary Castlevania concert tour for 2027 and announced the game's composer in October 2026, signalling a long-tail brand push behind the release.

"Konami is backing Castlevania: Belmont's Curse with a 40th anniversary concert tour in 2027, announced alongside the game's October 2026 composer reveal."

Is the Physical Edition Worth Importing for Southeast Asian Players?

The UK boxed release is confirmed by its chart placement and carries an RRP of £24.98 (~RM140). The digital eShop version is $29.99 (~RM135). No Asian regional SKU, and no English language confirmation for any specific cartridge, appears in the source material.

For Malaysian buyers, the maths is unforgiving. A UK import lands at roughly RM180–RM200 once freight and handling are added, against roughly RM135 for a digital purchase on a US-region eShop account. Play-Asia listings should be checked closer to stock arrival for an Asian multi-language cartridge, since Konami has historically produced English-friendly Asian SKUs for its console releases — but that remains an expectation to verify, not a confirmed fact in this report.

"The UK boxed edition of Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is listed at £24.98 (~RM140) against a $29.99 (~RM135) digital price, and the source material confirms no Asian SKU or cartridge language specification."

Southeast Asia and Malaysian Collector Verdict

Malaysian collectors face a three-way choice: digital eShop at approximately RM135, UK import at RM180–RM200 landed, or waiting for a Play-Asia Asian-region cartridge with unconfirmed language support. Given the game's $29.99 tier pricing and 30fps Switch build, the digital route offers the best value-per-ringgit unless cartridge preservation is the priority.

Three practical considerations shape the decision. First, cartridge preservation: a boxed copy is the only way to guarantee access if eShop delisting occurs, and Konami's back catalogue has seen delistings before. Second, hardware: PS5 owners get the 50% majority platform with no technical compromises, while Switch 2 owners are playing a Switch 1 build at 30fps. Third, regional pricing: Malaysian buyers without a localised eShop typically transact through US, Hong Kong or Japanese accounts, so the $29.99 figure is the operative benchmark rather than an official Malaysian RRP.

• Best value: digital eShop purchase at $29.99 (~RM135).
• Best performance: PS5 physical or digital, which absorbed 50% of UK boxed sales.
• Collector route: monitor Play-Asia for an Asian multi-language cartridge; confirm English subtitles before ordering.
• Avoid: paying import premiums for a Switch cartridge if you intend to play on Switch 2, given the absence of a native build.

"With no native Switch 2 SKU and a 30fps Switch build, the PS5 version and the RM135 digital eShop purchase are the two rational entry points for Malaysian buyers."

Common Questions

Does Castlevania: Belmont's Curse have a Switch 2 version?

No. The game shipped on 15 October 2026 for PS5, Switch and Xbox Series only. Switch 2 owners play the Switch build via backwards compatibility, though the free demo received a frame-rate boost when run on Switch 2 hardware.

How much does the game cost in Malaysian Ringgit?

The eShop price is $29.99, roughly RM135 at current market rates. The UK boxed edition is £24.98, roughly RM140 before shipping. Both are estimated conversions, not official Malaysian RRPs, since no local pricing appears in the source material.

Is the physical cartridge playable in English in Southeast Asia?

Unconfirmed. The source material specifies no language support for any SKU. Verify English subtitles and voice options on the specific Asian or Japanese cartridge before importing, as Konami's regional packaging varies between releases.

Sources and Methodology

Primary source is Nintendo Life's UK physical charts report for the week ending 17 October 2026, published at nintendolife.com, covering the top 40 with platform splits. Release date and pricing were taken from the same outlet's game page for Castlevania: Belmont's Curse: 15 October 2026, $29.99 and £24.98.

Currency conversions use approximate market rates at the verification date of 17 October 2026: USD 1 ≈ RM4.50 and GBP 1 ≈ RM5.60. All RM figures are estimates and exclude shipping, import duty and card foreign transaction fees. The Witcher III patch 5.01 changelog was posted by a reader in the chart article's comment thread rather than an official CD Projekt Red release note, and is flagged accordingly. Quotes from readers are identified as reader comments, not developer statements. No sales totals were aggregated; only the platform percentages published by the source are reproduced.

"All chart positions in this dispatch derive from Nintendo Life's UK physical top 40 for the week ending 17 October 2026, with Ringgit figures converted at USD 1 ≈ RM4.50 and GBP 1 ≈ RM5.60 as estimates only."