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, the combined sales of these two games have surpassed 25 million copies. This figure places them just behind the iconic Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release on the Game Boy in 1996.
With 26,790,000 sales, Scarlet and Violet have narrowly edged out Sword and Shield, which sold 26,720,000 copies, securing the second spot in the franchise's sales rankings. Rounding out the top five are Gold/Silver and Diamond/Pearl, with sales of 23.7 million and 16.7 million copies, respectively.
Despite their commercial success, Scarlet and Violet received a mixed reception upon launch, with scores ranging from average to mixed, marking them as some of the lowest-rated mainline games in the series. Fans have voiced concerns over technical issues, performance troubles, and bugs. In IGN's review of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the game was rated a 6/10, with the reviewer noting, "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 focuses on an urban redevelopment plan aiming to create a harmonious environment for both people and Pokémon. Last October, a leak surfaced online, revealing undisclosed details about various Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently issued a subpoena to Discord to identify the individual responsible for the "TeraLeak."
