Scarlet/Violet Sales Outshine Reviews, Second Only to Original Pokémon Games

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have solidified their place as some of the best-selling Pokémon games of all time. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, and as reported by Eurogamer, these two titles have collectively surpassed 25 million copies sold. This impressive figure places them just behind the legendary Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release in 1996 on the Game Boy.

Scarlet and Violet have narrowly outpaced Pokémon Sword/Shield, with sales reaching 26,790,000 compared to Sword/Shield's 26,720,000. Rounding out the top five best-selling Pokémon games are Gold/Silver with 23.7 million units sold and Diamond/Pearl with 16.7 million units.

Despite their commercial success, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet received a mixed reception at launch, earning scores that rank them among the lowest-reviewed mainline entries in the franchise. Fans cited technical issues, performance problems, and numerous bugs as major drawbacks. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review, the game was given a 6/10, with the critique 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."

Looking ahead, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is slated for release later this year. Set in Lumiose City, the game will explore an urban redevelopment plan aimed at creating a harmonious environment for both humans and Pokémon. Last October, a leak surfaced online revealing unknown details about several Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord to identify the individual responsible for the "TeraLeak."