Honestly, it feels like forever ago, but at the same time, the memory of those first few technical glitches is still pretty fresh for most of us. If you're scratching your head trying to remember exactly when did pokemon scarlet and violet come out, the answer is November 18, 2022.
That Friday morning was massive.
The games launched exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, marking a pretty aggressive pivot for Game Freak. It was the moment they finally decided to go "true" open world. No more loading screens between routes. No more tiny fenced-in paths. Just you, a weird lizard-bike thing, and a massive map called Paldea.
People had been waiting for this since the announcement back on Pokemon Day in February 2022. The hype was basically at a fever pitch. We'd seen the starters—Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly—and the internet had already spent months arguing over which one was the best. Spoiler: it was the grass cat, at least until it evolved and people had feelings about it standing on two legs.
The Specifics of the Launch Window
The global release wasn't some staggered affair where Japan got it first. It was a worldwide dropship.
While the official date was November 18, 2022, time zones meant some people were playing it while it was still the 17th in the US. If you were one of those people who set your Nintendo eShop region to New Zealand, you probably got in about 18 hours early. Sneaky, but effective.
💡 You might also like: Playing A Link to the Past Switch: Why It Still Hits Different Today
The release followed the typical Pokemon pattern. They usually aim for that mid-November slot to capture the Black Friday rush and the holiday shopping season. It's a formula that works. Scarlet and Violet sold 10 million copies in just the first three days. Ten million. That broke records for Nintendo, making it the biggest software launch in the company’s entire history at that point.
What was the world like back then?
Gaming in late 2022 was in a weird spot. We were just coming off the high of Elden Ring earlier that year, which had redefined what an "open world" should look like. Then Pokemon stepped into the ring. The contrast was sharp.
While the gameplay loop of catching and battling was as addictive as ever, the technical side of the launch was... rocky. You've probably seen the memes. People falling through the floor, Sunflora lagging at two frames per second, and character models stretching like taffy. Despite the bugs, the actual "when" of the release was a cultural moment that dominated Twitter (now X) and Twitch for weeks.
Why the Timing of Scarlet and Violet Actually Mattered
Timing is everything in game development. Game Freak released Pokemon Legends: Arceus in January 2022. That’s only ten months before Scarlet and Violet hit the shelves.
That’s a incredibly tight window.
📖 Related: Plants vs Zombies Xbox One: Why Garden Warfare Still Slaps Years Later
Many fans argue that this back-to-back release schedule is why the games struggled with performance. You had two massive, ambitious projects coming out in the same calendar year. Arceus gave us the experimental catching mechanics, and then, boom, less than a year later, we’re in Paldea with full-blown multiplayer.
When did Pokemon Scarlet and Violet come out in relation to the DLC? That's the second part of the story. The "Hidden Treasure of Area Zero" didn't arrive until much later.
- The Teal Mask dropped on September 13, 2023.
- The Indigo Disk followed on December 14, 2023.
- An epilogue featuring the mythical Pokemon Pecharunt was released on January 11, 2024.
So, if you’re looking at the "total" release window, the game wasn't technically "finished" in terms of content until early 2024.
Comparing Paldea to Previous Generations
If we look at the history, Pokemon generations usually last about three years.
Sword and Shield came out in November 2019.
Sun and Moon arrived in November 2016.
X and Y landed in October 2013.
See the pattern? Game Freak loves the autumn. It gives them enough time to patch the major game-breaking bugs before the kids unwrap the games on Christmas morning. By the time December 25, 2022, rolled around, Scarlet and Violet had already received its first major 1.1.0 update, which tried (and partially failed) to fix some of those early performance gripes.
👉 See also: Why Pokemon Red and Blue Still Matter Decades Later
The Cultural Impact of the November 2022 Drop
The launch wasn't just about the date; it was about the shift in how we play Pokemon. This was the first time we could do "Union Circle" and literally run around the map with three friends.
I remember jumping into a game with my brother on launch night. We were in different states, but we were standing next to each other in the game, watching a Lechonk roll by. It was buggy, yeah, but it was also a glimpse into what the future of the franchise could be.
Even though the game came out in late 2022, its presence hasn't faded. Competitive play (VGC) is still huge. The transition from the "Dynamic" gimmick of Galar to the "Terastallization" gimmick of Paldea changed everything for pro players. Tera types added a layer of complexity that made the 2023 and 2024 World Championships some of the most unpredictable ones we've ever seen.
A Quick Reality Check on the Stats
- Release Date: November 18, 2022
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Initial Sales: 10 million units in 72 hours
- Total Sales (as of 2024): Over 25 million units
- Developer: Game Freak
Where the Game Stands Today
If you're thinking about jumping in now, years after the release, you're getting a much better experience than those of us who played at midnight on launch day. The patches have smoothed out the worst of the crashes, though the frame rate still chugs in the Casseroya Lake area. That’s just Paldea life, honestly.
The mystery of "Area Zero" and the Paradox Pokemon remains one of the best story beats Pokemon has ever done. It’s darker and more sci-fi than what we usually get. If you missed out because you were waiting for the "perfect" version, the current state of the game with the DLC included is about as good as it’s going to get before the next generation (Gen 10) inevitably arrives.
What You Should Do Next
If you own the game but haven't touched it since the credits rolled, check your mystery gift tab. Game Freak frequently runs distributions for competitive-ready Pokemon or rare items. Also, if you’re a completionist, the Teal Mask and Indigo Disk DLCs are essential. They bring back a ton of legendary Pokemon from previous regions, and the difficulty spike in the second half of the DLC is actually a decent challenge for veteran players.
For those who are brand new: don't follow the "suggested" path. The beauty of the November 2022 release was the freedom. Head to the high-level areas early. Get your butt kicked. Catch a level 50 Pokemon when your team is level 20. That's the real Paldean experience.