Scarlet/Violet Sales Surpass All But Original Pokémon Games Despite Reviews

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet rank among the best-selling Pokémon games of all time. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, and as reported by Eurogamer, these two games have sold over 25 million copies combined. This impressive figure surpasses all other Pokémon games since the original Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release in 1996 for the Game Boy.

Scarlet/Violet's sales of 26,790,000 units narrowly beat out Sword/Shield, which sold 26,720,000 copies, placing it in second place. The top five list is completed by Gold/Silver with 23.7 million copies sold and Diamond/Pearl with 16.7 million copies sold.

Upon release, Scarlet/Violet received mixed reviews, earning them some of the lowest scores among mainline Pokémon games. Fans and critics alike pointed out technical issues, performance problems, and bugs. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review, the game was rated 6/10, described as "Okay," with the review stating: "The open-world gameplay of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is a brilliant direction for the future of the franchise, but this promising shift is sabotaged by the numerous ways in which Scarlet and Violet feel deeply unfinished."

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is slated for release later this year. Set in Lumiose City, the game focuses on an urban redevelopment plan aimed at creating a harmonious environment for both people and Pokémon. Last October, a leak surfaced online sharing unverified details about various Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord to identify the individual behind the "TeraLeak."