Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have quickly risen to become two of the best-selling entries in the Pokémon franchise of all time.
According to data highlighted by Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, and later confirmed by Eurogamer, the combined sales of Scarlet and Violet have surpassed 26.79 million units. This impressive figure places them just ahead of Pokémon Sword and Shield, which hold the second position with 26.72 million copies sold globally.
For context, the original Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue titles on the Game Boy sold a total of 31.4 million copies since their initial launch in 1996—still the highest in the series. Meanwhile, the Gold/Silver and Diamond/Pearl generations follow closely behind in third and fourth place, with 23.7 million and 16.7 million units sold respectively.
Despite its commercial success, *Pokémon Scarlet and Violet* received a more divided critical and fan response upon release. The game launched with mostly mixed reviews, marking it as one of the lower-rated mainline Pokémon titles in recent memory. Players frequently cited technical issues, performance instability, and bug-related frustrations during early gameplay experiences.At IGN, we described our thoughts in the IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet 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, Nintendo and Game Freak are preparing the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, set to take place in the bustling urban environment of Lumiose City. In this title, players will experience a new story where an ambitious redevelopment plan aims to build a shared space for both humans and Pokémon.
Last October, a major leak surfaced online—nicknamed the "TeraLeak"—revealing previously unknown details about several upcoming Pokémon titles, including Legends: Z-A. Since then, Nintendo has issued a subpoena to Discord in an effort to identify the individual responsible for leaking the information.
