Scarlet/Violet Sales Surge Past Red/Green/Blue, Despite Mixed Reviews

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have emerged as some of the best-selling Pokémon games in the franchise's history. 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 just behind the iconic Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release in 1996 for the Game Boy.

Scarlet and Violet have slightly edged out Pokémon Sword/Shield in sales, with 26,790,000 copies sold compared to Sword/Shield's 26,720,000. Rounding out the top five best-selling Pokémon games are Gold/Silver with 23.7 million copies and Diamond/Pearl with 16.7 million copies sold.

Despite their commercial success, Scarlet and Violet received a mixed reception upon launch, earning mostly average or mixed reviews. This makes them some of the lowest-rated mainline entries in the Pokémon series, with players citing technical issues, performance problems, and bugs as major concerns. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review, 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, fans can anticipate the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A later this year. Set in Lumiose City, the game will explore an urban redevelopment plan aimed at creating a harmonious environment for both humans and Pokémon. However, the excitement surrounding this upcoming title was marred by a leak last October that disclosed unknown information about various Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord to identify the individual responsible for the "TeraLeak."