Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are no strangers to bugs and glitches. However, the latest issue discovered by players goes deeper than the occasional texture problem.
Fan Pokémon Scarlet and VioletThe competitive multiplayer mode has discovered an alarming bug in the game’s PvP Battle Stadium. In short, it looks like every single PvP battle in the stadium uses the same RNG (random number generator) seed when generating random outcomes in battle.
In practical terms, this means players can learn the order in which attacks will hit and miss, and coordinate their moves accordingly. Given the RNG component of Pokémon battles, this is a serious problem for competitive players. For example, moves with 90% accuracy or less seem certain to slip the first time they are used (via reddit (opens in a new tab)), and so players are learning to avoid them, hoping their opponents use them first. Players on Twitter also reported similar issues.
This bug goes beyond the more aesthetic and technical issues in Scarlet and Violet and directly affects the central systems of the Pokémon experience.
Uh oh.Pokémon Scarlet/Violet Battle Stadium currently uses the same RNG seed for every battle. This allows us to pick moves to ensure that OHKO moves like Sheer Cold always hit the mark! pic.twitter.com/lSlBJr1AF6November 27, 2022
system shock
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Nintendo Switch the release was plagued with performance issues and bugs, with pop-up textures and characters interrupting cutscenes being two of the most noticeable issues. However, this particular issue overshadows choppy animations and frame rate issues. This RNG bug affects the very heart of Pokémon: the battle system.
Like any of the Best role playing game out there, Pokémon lives and dies based on its battle mechanics. The back-and-forth tension of pocket monster battles and the subtle arithmetic that keeps it afloat have been at the core of the Pokémon experience since the days of Red and Blue.
Those clutch moments in the Pokémon battle, where we’ve been pushed to our limits, are what makes the game. The familiar alarm sound effect sounds when our pocket friend’s health turns red. We dig deep, grit our teeth, and launch a desperate, final attack to try to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. In that last moment, we crossed our arms and hoped that luck would be on our side.
With the RNG seed broken in PvP mode, Pokémon simply can’t deliver that experience to competitive players in the same way, and that breaks my heart a bit.
fear of insects
Despite this newly discovered problem, Scarlet and Violet are still full of innovative and bold features that help push the envelope for Pokémon. What’s worrisome, however, is that the depth and breadth of bugs affecting the game is wide enough to sabotage the core combat system.
Competitive Pokémon battles have been an important part of the Pokémon fan community since the beginning of the series. The fact that Game Freak dropped the Poké Ball here is also disappointing as it is possible to release ambitious, open-world titles for the Switch and let them run elegantly; just look at Xenoblade Chronicles 3 or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
By not catching this bug before launch, Game Freak introduced a flaw into Pokémon’s most critical system.
