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Pokémon Scarlet/Violet to launch in November with open-world multiplayer

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This story is part of the Digital Trends Summer Gaming Marathon series

Nintendo has announced that Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet will launch on November 18 exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

Second Trailer | Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet

A new trailer revealed both mascot legendary Pokémon, Koraidon and Miraidon. Both are lizards of some sort, with Koraidon being a red, more natural-looking creature. Miraidon, by contrast, is blue and looks more mechanical, so this generation’s theme might be man vs machine or something along those lines.

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According to The Pokémon Company, these games are the first open-world entries in the series. The games have always emphasized online battling and trading Pokemon, but now they will allow up to four players to explore the region online through multiplayer. A press release notes that players can explore the game in a non-linear fashion, which is a change of pace for the usually straightforward RPG series.

Pokemon trainers hang out together in Pokemon Violet and Scarlet.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Two professors were introduced: Professor Sada and Professor Turo. The former will be in Scarlet while the latter will be in Violet. Additionally, Nemona shows up as a sort of a mentor or rival figure who’ll guide the player throughout their journey.

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There are some new Pokemon introduced as well, such as Pawmi, an electric mouse, Lechonk, a Normal-type hog, and Smoliv, an olive-shaped dual Grass/Normal creature.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The end of the trailer shows a background full of reflective crystals and a Pokéball flying across the screen. Whether or not this hints at anything, like the generation’s new central mechanic, is unknown. Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield had Dynamaxing, while Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon had Z-Moves.

Unsurprisingly, Nintendo is also offering a double pack that includes both versions of the game as well as a steelbook case.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

When Nintendo first announced the newest generation of games, the initial trailer showcased a variety of old Pokémon that would be returning.

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George Yang
George Yang
George Yang is a freelance games writer for Digital Trends. He has written for places such as IGN, GameSpot, The Washington…
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