Scarlet/Violet Sales Soar, Outrank Only by Original Pokémon Titles

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have soared to become some of the best-selling Pokémon games of all time. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, and reported by Eurogamer, the duo has collectively sold over 25 million copies. This impressive figure places them ahead of all Pokémon titles released since the iconic Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release in 1996 for the Game Boy.

With a total of 26,790,000 sales, Scarlet/Violet narrowly edges out Pokémon Sword/Shield, which sold 26,720,000 copies, securing the second spot in the franchise's sales rankings. The top five is completed by Pokémon Gold/Silver and Diamond/Pearl, with sales of 23.7 million and 16.7 million copies, respectively.

Despite their commercial success, Scarlet/Violet received a mixed reception upon launch, earning primarily average or mixed reviews. This places them among the lower-rated mainline entries in the series, with players citing issues with technical performance and bugs. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review, the game was rated 6/10 and described as "Okay." 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 aiming to create a harmonious environment for both people and Pokémon. Last October, a leak surfaced online revealing unknown details about various Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord in an effort to identify the individual responsible for the "TeraLeak."