With thePokemonfranchise turning 26 years old, andSwordandShieldbeing out around three years this November, many fans were hoping for Generation 9 to be released in 2022. This came true whenPokemon ScarletandVioletwere revealed in February with a live-action trailer that showcased a few shots of the new region and Gen 9’s starter trio: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. Despite the excitement of thePokemoncommunity, The Pokemon Company has only released one trailer in the months since,revealing a total of five new pocket monsters- includingScarletandViolet’s version-exclusive Legendaries.
During this time, many alleged leaks have surfaced online about all sorts of features inPokemon ScarletandViolet, including thestarters' final type combinations. Yet, nothing official has been released after the second trailer in June, and fans are wondering why this is the case when The Pokemon Company usually promotes new mainline games heavily throughout the summer before its holiday release dates. However, this silence aboutPokemon ScarletandVioletis actually beneficial to the company, even if leaks might undermine that.
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Why The Pokemon Company May be Secretive About Scarlet and Violet
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetare likely having one of the driest reveal seasons of all modernPokemongames, spanning from Gen 5 to Gen 8, as it’s mid-July and there have only been two trailers. The only new critters that fans officially know about are the three starters, the Legendaries, and early Route Pokemon like Lechonk, Smoliv, and Pawmi. The likely battle gimmick forPokemon Scarlet and Violethas only been rumored, too.
While leaks might hurt the upcoming release to a degree, it’s also true that both leaks and a lack of official information lead fans to talk more about the games than if new trailers dropped frequently, which is probably one reason why The Pokemon Company has been quiet about it. If new images surfacing of The Pokemon Companyfilming aPokemon Scarlet and Violettrailer in Spainare real, it’s also possible that a trailer might arrive in the coming weeks. In fact, apart from a few dates in June, announcements related to newPokemongames are often made during Pokemon Directs in August.
This approach is wildly different from what The Pokemon Company did withPokemon SunandMoonin 2016, when many of the features, characters, and available Pokemon in Gen 7 were officially revealed over the months ahead of release. Even with Gen 8, the promotional campaign prior toPokemon SwordandShield’s release was much lengthier and more articulated than what is happening with Generation 9. For example, the officialPokemon ScarletandVioletwebsite has only been kept up-to-date with the trailers, whereas Generation 8 saw some interesting marketing techniques such as the reveal of Galarian Ponyta in a long livestream about the Glimwood Tangle forest and its creatures.
As such, it’s only natural to think that what has changed withPokemon Scarlet and Violetis The Pokemon Company trying something new marketing-wise, maybe only sharing trailers and details closer to the holiday season. It’s unclear whether things like theGalarian Ponytareveal event will come back, and official channels have been busy with other topics. Ultimately, this approach may be already working to a degree, considering that the news drought led fans to share every bit of speculation regardingPokemon ScarletandVioletthey can online, which is seemingly giving Gen 9 more visibility than ever.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletrelease for Nintendo Switch on July 15, 2025.
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