Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have secured their place among the best-selling Pokémon games of all time. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, and as reported by Eurogamer, the combined sales of these two titles have surpassed 25 million copies. This impressive figure places Scarlet/Violet just behind the original Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release in 1996 for the Game Boy.
In terms of sales, Scarlet/Violet have narrowly edged out Sword/Shield, which sold 26,720,000 copies, securing the second spot with 26,790,000 units sold. The top five best-selling Pokémon games are rounded out by Gold/Silver with 23.7 million copies and Diamond/Pearl with 16.7 million copies.
Despite their commercial success, Scarlet/Violet received a mixed reception at launch, with many reviews falling into the mixed or average category. This makes them one of the lowest-rated mainline entries in the Pokémon 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 a 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 space for both humans and Pokémon. However, excitement for the new title has been tempered by a leak last October that shared unknown information about multiple Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord to identify the individual behind the "TeraLeak."
