Pokémon Scarlet & Violet break sales records despite serious technical issues

Despite harsh criticism for its graphical shortcomings and performance errors, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet have established themselves as the second best-selling titles in the franchise's history, surpassing previous releases like Pokémon Sword & Shield. Since their release in 2022, they have reached 26.79 million copies sold, according to official data from Nintendo.

This phenomenon raises a key question about the video game industry:to what extent can technical issues affect commercial success when it comes to well-established brands and a solid fan base?

A new approach with evident flaws

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet introduced a drastic change in the saga with their first open world. This novelty attracted a wide audience interested in more free and immersive experiences. However, the technical leap did not meet expectations.

Player criticism was quick to appear. Among the most frequent complaints were graphical errors, frame rate drops, rendering issues, and "embarrassing art" in some scenarios. Despite this, the innovation in gameplay—with new mechanics like non-linear exploration and the ability to face gyms in any order—was widely appreciated by users.

Nintendo responds to the discontent

In an unusual response, Nintendo issued a statement after the game's release in which it apologized for the technical inconveniences and promised improvements through updates. The gesture was interpreted as an acknowledgment of the magnitude of the criticism, although it did not prevent the games from breaking sales records in their first weeks.

According to industry analysts, the phenomenon shows that, in some cases, the weight of a brand and the emotional connection with fans can even surpass the most notable performance shortcomings.

Towards the 30th anniversary of the franchise

With the 30th anniversary of Pokémon on the horizon and growing expectations for a new console—popularly known as Nintendo Switch 2—all eyes are on how the saga will evolve.

The next confirmed release is Pokémon Legends: Z-A, scheduled for 2025. Unlike its predecessors, the game will focus on a single city, promising new forms of interaction and exploration. This decision could respond to the intention of improving performance without sacrificing narrative and mechanical depth.

The question now is whether future titles will manage to correct past mistakes without losing the essence that turned Pokémon into a global phenomenon over three decades.