Scarlet/Violet Sales Surpass All But Original Pokémon Games

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have achieved remarkable sales, becoming some of the best-selling Pokémon games of all time. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, as reported by Eurogamer, these two games have together sold over 25 million copies. This impressive figure places them just behind the original Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release in 1996 for the Game Boy.

With 26,790,000 units sold, Scarlet/Violet have narrowly surpassed Pokémon Sword/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/Silver with 23.7 million copies sold, and Pokémon Diamond/Pearl with 16.7 million copies.

Despite their commercial success, Scarlet/Violet received a mixed reception at launch. They debuted with scores that positioned 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 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. This new installment will explore an urban redevelopment plan aimed at creating a harmonious environment for both people and Pokémon. Last October, a leak surfaced online containing undisclosed details about various Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord to identify the individual responsible for the "TeraLeak."