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

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet stand out as some of the best-selling Pokémon games of all time. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, and reported by Eurogamer, these two titles have collectively sold over 25 million copies. This impressive figure places them ahead of all other Pokémon games since the original Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release in 1996 on the Game Boy.

With a total of 26,790,000 sales, Scarlet and Violet have just edged out Pokémon Sword and Shield, which sold 26,720,000 copies, securing the second spot in the list of top-selling Pokémon games. Rounding out the top five are Pokémon Gold and Silver with 23.7 million copies sold, and Pokémon Diamond and Pearl with 16.7 million copies.

Despite their commercial success, Scarlet and Violet received a mixed reception upon launch. They debuted with scores that rank them among the lowest-reviewed mainline games in the series, primarily due to complaints about technical issues, performance problems, and bugs. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review, the game was described as "Okay," receiving a score of 6/10. The review highlighted that "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 around the game was tempered by a leak last October that shared unknown information about various Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord to identify the individual behind the "TeraLeak."