The next mainline Pokémon games are very nearly here – The Pokémon Company used 2022’s Pokémon Day celebrations as the perfect time to announce Scarlet and Violet, the next two games in the series, which are coming for Nintendo Switch.
We’ve now had a few trailers for the games, and glimpses of both returning and all-new Pokémon, so there’s plenty of information about the games out there. Here are all the key details you need to know.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet release date
The first trailer for the twin games ended with the information that they’ll be arriving in late 2022, and that was then confirmed by the second trailer at the start of June, which you can see below.
It confirms that the games are launching on 18 November 2022, so you can mark that date in your calendars ready to play either one for the first time.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet trailers
You can see the first trailer for the games below, which was thankfully not a tiny teaser but a proper showcase with loads of gameplay clips cut throughout it.
In early August 2022, we got another trailer unveiling the open world of the game – the Paldea region, along with a whole heap of new gameplay features. It’s embedded below.
It was streamed during a Pokémon Presents live stream that followed the trailer with a long deep dive into the game, so we recommend checking that out if you want more details – again, it’s below in full.
In September 2022 Nintendo gave us another trailer, which offers more glimpses of new regions in the world as well as a few previously unseen Pokémon that we’ll be able to catch.
Finally, November 2022 saw the trailer below emerge, only a few short days before the games themselves are due to launch.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet platforms
The two games have both been announced for Nintendo Switch, and will be completely exclusive to that platform, which is no surprise at all, given the history of the franchise on Nintendo’s machines. They won’t come out on any other consoles, or on PC.
Switch OLED Pokémon Scarlet and Violet edition
Nintendo announced that it would release a limited edition model of the Switch OLED a couple of weeks before the games come out, nicely themed around them both.
Have a peek at the #NintendoSwitch – OLED Model: #PokemonScarletViolet Edition system, arriving on 11/4!
It includes a dock displaying Legendary Pokémon Koraidon & Miraidon, special illustrations of the partner Pokémon on the back, and specially-designed Joy-Con controllers! pic.twitter.com/HlJpFBsKBA— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 7, 2022
With some really cool design touches and unique Joy-Cons, it’s a super impressive-looking version of the console, and we’d assume it’ll become highly sought-after.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet gameplay
We’ll start where players will – the starter Pokémon for the game have been unveiled, and they’re looking mighty cute already.
They’re Sprigatito, a grassy cat; Fuecoco, a firey crocodile; and Quaxly, a duckling. It’s a really nice set of starters from a design perspective, in our opinion, with simpler and purer designs than recent generations have brought to the table, so we’re hoping they’re a sign of things to come from other new monsters.
We also know that the games will feature different Professors to guide you on your journey – Professor Sada in Scarlet and Professor Turo in Violet.
While there will as always be a returning roster of Pokémon to go along with a range of new designs, the biggest change this time around appears to be that Paldea is a truly open world, where you can move around completely freely and tackle gyms and find towns in your own order.
You’ll have an ally to help you do so – the cover monsters of the games, Koraidon and Miraidon. While you ride them to travel more quickly they’ll morph into swimming, riding and gliding modes to help you get around easily.
We got a look at how open-world systems could help the series modernise in Legends Arceus, so this might be the next big step toward a new look and feel for the franchise’s main entries.
The games will feature four-person co-op, too, which should make for a fun experience – and impressively it looks like you’ll be able to move around the open world while riding your legendary Pokémon without many restrictions, taking on raids and adventures together.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet story
We now know that the games will take place in the Paldea region, which features a range of biomes that look colourful and varied, which you can explore in your own time and in whatever order you like.
Over the last decade, most Pokémon games have taken a real-world region as their inspiration, such as the United Kingdom for Sword and Shield.
That’s likely to have continued for the new games, and most observers are agreed that it looks like some combination of Spain and Portugal are in the limelight this time around.
The geography is a solid match, but it’s landmarks like an in-game version of Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia that are really tipping the balance in those countries’ favours.
We can also assume that, like normal, there will be a team of dastardly baddies to take on throughout our journey, although for now what we’ve learned about the game has showcased a more laid-back style. You’ll be able to tackle gyms in whatever order you like, while another parallel story will involve a treasure hunt initiated by your Academy.
The game’s legendaries were in fact shown off at the end of the second trailer, and they’re called Koraidon and Miraidon – they’ll presumably be central to the games’ plots, although unlike in previous games it looks like we’ll get access to them very early on as we travel around.