Scarlet/Violet Sales Surpass All but Original Pokémon Games

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have emerged as two of the best-selling entries in the storied franchise, amassing over 25 million combined units sold worldwide. According to data shared by Joe Merrick, webmaster of Serebii.net, and highlighted by Eurogamer, the pair has reached a total of 26,790,000 sales—just edging past Pokémon Sword and Shield, which sit at 26,720,000 copies sold. This places Scarlet and Violet in second place on the all-time Pokémon sales chart, only behind the original trio—Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue—which sold 31.4 million copies following their 1996 debut on the Game Boy.

Further rounding out the top five are Pokémon Gold and Silver with 23.7 million units sold, and Diamond and Pearl with 16.7 million, underscoring the enduring global appeal of the series across generations.

At IGN, we described the experience as “Okay,” awarding it a 6/10. Our IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review noted: "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 the vibrant Lumiose City, the game explores a vision of urban renewal where humans and Pokémon coexist in a reimagined cityscape. However, anticipation has been shadowed by leaks—most notably last October’s “TeraLeak,” which exposed unannounced details about Legends: Z-A and other upcoming Pokémon titles. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord in an effort to identify the individual responsible for the breach.