"There's no shame in it": Pokemon Scarlet and Violet player refunds title for being unplayable

Some bugs in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been too much for players to bear (Image via Game Freak)
Some bugs in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been too much for players to bear (Image via Game Freak)

While Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have performed well in sales since their release, the two Nintendo Switch titles have had their share of issues. One of the most notable is a litany of bugs and glitches. Some break the game, while others are simply good for a laugh or two.

In reaction to the collection of bugs seen in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, it's been reported that Nintendo has begun issuing refunds to players via the electronic storefront.

As one might expect, Reddit has also been abuzz with players discussing the games' bugs and their experiences with them.

A Redditor with the username Hotdog_Daddy recently shared his experience, spurring a conversation about Scarlet and Violet among the official Pokemon subreddit community.


Redditors react to refunds being issued for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

In-game bugs have scoured the surface of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet since launch day (Image via Game Freak)
In-game bugs have scoured the surface of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet since launch day (Image via Game Freak)

It has become quite common for Scarlet and Violet players to encounter at least a bug or two during their playthroughs in Paldea. Furthermore, the game has been beset with performance issues on the Switch, including frame drops, hanging, and sometimes even crashing.

Considering Scarlet and Violet's budget and Nintendo's involvement, many players are baffled that so many in-game technical issues made it to global release and well past QA testing.

The criticisms levied on this Pokemon Scarlet and Violet subreddit are far from rare.

Many players have remarked on how Game Freak could have let a game of such a high caliber be released with so many bugs and game-breaking glitches.

Performance issues are also a point of contention, forcing many players to avoid playing the game on higher-resolution screens in an attempt to prevent any frame drops from being observed.

Players have reported clipping through floors, Pokemon spinning in circles without performing animations, and Koraidon/Miraidon disappearing or getting stuck in the terrain.

Despite these issues, many players have stated that they're willing to overlook the issues due to gameplay improvements and quality-of-life advancements Scarlet and Violet introduced.

Some Redditors appear to be holding out on the hope that Game Freak will introduce a performance patch to improve Scarlet and Violet's overall capabilities on the Switch hardware.

Sporadic commenters doubted that this would occur. However, others have stipulated that if players continue to issue refunds on account of the bugs and memory leaks, Game Freak and The Pokemon Company will have to take notice due to a loss in revenue.

Fortunately, it appears that Nintendo has been very forthcoming about issuing refunds for digital copies of the recent titles.

According to the Reddit comments, players have received their money back in remarkably quick fashion. This allows them to look to Scarlet and Violet later if it gets patched or try out other games they deem worth their time.

At the end of the day, how many in-game issues a player is willing to put up with is up to them. Each fan has their own standards as far as quality is concerned, and some players have simply had enough of what the new Generation IX titles have to offer.

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