Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are smashing multiple sales records despite launching less than a week ago. The latest entry in the effervescent video-game franchise surpassed 10 million combined units in the first three days since their release on the Nintendo Switch on November 18, according to the company.
That milestone is the highest for any software on any Nintendo platform within the first three days. The feat also means that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is already the 15th bestselling Nintendo Switch game of all time. Though it still has a way to go before it tops Pokemon Sword and Shield, which has shifted 25.37 million copies, to placing it at number five on the bestseller list.
But that’s not the only silverware Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has added to its trophy cabinet. The new title is also the the biggest boxed-game launch of the year, outdoing previous champ FIFA 23 by four per cent in its opening week. What’s more, that makes it the second-biggest Pokémon launch of all time, behind Pokémon Sun and Moon on the handheld Nintendo 3DS.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are the latest mainline offering in the enduring Pokemon series of video games that tasks players (known as “trainers”) with capturing and battling colorful creatures. The role-playing game introduces a new open world to explore, known as the Paldea region, along with new Pokemon and side characters to interact with.
It appears the franchise is critic-proof as the blockbuster sales figures show that it has overcome a mixed reception. As we noted in our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet review, the promising game is hamstrung by a flat open-world environment and irritating lag times. Many players have also been pointing out that the game is bogged down by bugs and glitches, though Nintendo could iron those out.
There were early signs that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet had got off to a rapid start, with UK electronics retailer Currys tweeting that it was their most pre-ordered game ever.
