Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have emerged as some of the best-selling Pokémon games to date. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, and reported by Eurogamer, these two titles have surpassed 25 million copies sold. This impressive figure places them just behind the iconic Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release in 1996 for the Game Boy.
With a total of 26,790,000 sales, Scarlet/Violet have narrowly edged out Pokémon Sword/Shield, which sold 26,720,000 copies, securing the second spot in the franchise's sales rankings. The top five is completed by Pokémon Gold/Silver and Diamond/Pearl, with sales of 23.7 million and 16.7 million copies, respectively.
Despite their commercial success, Scarlet/Violet received a mixed reception at launch, earning scores that rank them among the lowest-rated mainline entries in the series. Fans and critics alike pointed out numerous technical issues, performance problems, and bugs. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review, the game was described as "Okay," receiving a 6/10 rating. The review praised the open-world gameplay as a promising direction for the franchise but criticized the game for feeling "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. However, excitement for the new title was tempered by a leak last October that revealed unknown information about several Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord to identify the individual responsible for the "TeraLeak."
