Scarlet/Violet Sales Surpass All But Original Pokémon Games

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have emerged as some of the best-selling entries in the Pokémon franchise, according to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, as reported by Eurogamer. Together, these games have sold over 25 million copies, surpassing all other Pokémon titles since the original Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon their release in 1996 for the Game Boy.

Scarlet and Violet have edged out Pokémon Sword and Shield, securing the second spot with 26,790,000 units sold, compared to Sword/Shield's 26,720,000. The top five best-selling Pokémon games are rounded out by Gold/Silver with 23.7 million copies sold and Diamond/Pearl with 16.7 million copies.

Despite their commercial success, Scarlet and Violet received a mixed reception at launch, earning scores that rank them among the lowest-rated mainline Pokémon games. Fans have criticized the games for technical issues, performance problems, and bugs. In IGN's review of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the game was rated 6/10, 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."

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 people and Pokémon. Last October, a leak surfaced online containing unknown information about several Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently issued a subpoena to Discord to identify the individual responsible for the "TeraLeak."