"Pokémon Scarlet/Violet: High Sales Despite Mixed Reviews"

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have secured their place as some of the top-selling Pokémon games in history. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, and reported by Eurogamer, these games have collectively surpassed 25 million units sold. This impressive figure places them ahead of all other Pokémon titles since the iconic Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release on the Game Boy in 1996.

With 26,790,000 copies sold, Scarlet and Violet have narrowly edged out Pokémon Sword and Shield, which sold 26,720,000 units, to claim the second spot in the series' sales rankings. The top five is rounded out by Pokémon Gold and Silver with 23.7 million sales, and Pokémon Diamond and Pearl with 16.7 million sales.

Despite their commercial success, Scarlet and Violet received a mixed reception at launch. They debuted to scores that placed them among the lowest-rated mainline games in the Pokémon series, with criticism focusing on technical issues, performance problems, and bugs. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review, the game was described as "Okay," earning a 6/10 score. The review praised the open-world gameplay as a promising direction for the franchise but noted that the game felt "deeply unfinished."

Looking ahead, fans can anticipate the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A later this year. Set in Lumiose City, the game will explore an urban redevelopment plan aimed at creating a harmonious environment for both humans and Pokémon. Last October, a leak surfaced online containing unknown information about several Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently subpoenaed Discord to identify the individual behind the "TeraLeak."