Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have emerged as some of the top-selling Pokémon games in history. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, and reported by Eurogamer, these titles have surpassed 25 million copies sold, outpacing every other Pokémon game since the original Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which achieved sales of 31.4 million upon its 1996 Game Boy release.
With 26,790,000 units sold, Scarlet/Violet have narrowly edged out Pokémon Sword/Shield, which sold 26,720,000 copies, to claim the second spot on the list of best-selling Pokémon games. Rounding out the top five are Pokémon Gold/Silver and Diamond/Pearl, with sales figures of 23.7 million and 16.7 million, respectively.
Despite their commercial success, Scarlet/Violet received a mixed reception at launch, with scores that rank among the lowest for mainline Pokémon games. Fans cited numerous technical issues, performance problems, and bugs. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review, the game was rated 6/10, with the reviewer noting 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 feature an urban redevelopment plan aimed at creating a harmonious environment for both people and Pokémon. Last October, a leak revealed undisclosed details about several Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord to identify the individual responsible for the "TeraLeak."