Scarlet/Violet Sales Soar, Second Only to Original Pokémon Games

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have emerged as some of the best-selling Pokémon games in history. 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 Sword/Shield, which sold 26,720,000 copies, securing the second spot in the franchise's sales rankings. The top five is rounded out by Gold/Silver with 23.7 million copies sold and Diamond/Pearl with 16.7 million copies.

Despite their commercial success, Scarlet/Violet received a mixed reception at launch, earning scores that rank them among the lowest-rated mainline Pokémon games. Fans and critics alike pointed out numerous technical issues, performance problems, and bugs. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review, 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. However, excitement for the upcoming 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."