Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have solidified their place as some of the best-selling Pokémon games in history. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, and as reported by Eurogamer, these titles have surpassed 25 million copies sold combined. This impressive number places them just behind the legendary Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release in 1996 on the Game Boy.
Scarlet and Violet have edged out Pokémon Sword/Shield, which sold 26,720,000 copies, to claim the second spot in the sales rankings. The top five is rounded out by Pokémon Gold/Silver with 23.7 million units sold and Pokémon Diamond/Pearl with 16.7 million units sold.
Despite their commercial success, Scarlet and Violet received a mixed reception at launch. They debuted with scores that rank them among the lowest-rated mainline Pokémon games. Fans expressed frustration over technical issues, performance troubles, and bugs. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review, the game was given 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 feature an urban redevelopment plan aimed at creating a harmonious space for both people and Pokémon. However, excitement for the new title has been tempered by a leak last October that revealed unknown details about several Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord to identify the individual responsible for the "TeraLeak."