Say Goodbye to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet on April 1

2026 has already been a massive year for Pokemon fans so far, with games like Pokopia and Pokemon Champions launching almost back-to-back while ports make their way on the Switch and Switch 2. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet may not get new content now that they have entered their fourth year, but the series is offering ever more things for players to do. Pokemon Legends: Z-A recently released Mega Garchomp Z, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen‘s Mew and Celebi are likely to become available via special events, and Pokemon Winds and Waves got their reveal trailer on Pokemon Day. As much as this can be exciting, it’s also a sad lullaby for Gen 9 games.

Pokemon Winds and Waves will launch in 2027, so the VGC scene is going to be very much alive in Gen 9 this year. Yet, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are most likely meant to fade into the background as more VGC events happen. It may seem strange and counterintuitive, but the writing is on the wall for some key reasons, and has been for quite some time now. Lately, modern mainline Pokemon games have had a cadence of three years between one another, so to see Gen 10 slated for 2027 while Pokemon Champions is coming in a little over a week can only mean one thing for Gen 9’s future.

Why You Should Replay Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in 2026

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet officially entered their fourth year since release, and there are many good reasons to replay them in 2026.

April 2026 is the End of an Era for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s Season 41 will be its last, as it’s confirmed that no further updates will be released for the games. Since Season 41 will launch on April 1, and Pokemon Champions will debut on April 8, it seems the next logical step for the series is to move VGC to Pokemon Champions, instead. Even if it’s not immediate, which is more likely because Pokemon Champions will only have Mega Evolution as an available gimmick on launch, the shift to Champions seems inevitable.

Balance the critic averages

Easy (6)Medium (8)Hard (10)

Considering that Pokemon Champions‘ gameplay exclusively revolves around battles, with just a small recruitment section that doesn’t involve the classic full-on exploration of the series, it seems to be built on the idea that it will be the ultimate tool and experience for VGC moving forward. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet had a generational run, with regulations upon regulations to keep competitive play always refreshing and up-to-date, which is more than past games did.

Playing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will still be very rewarding for those interested in Pokemon Champions, as you can max out Pokemon for competitive purposes in Gen 9, then transfer to Pokemon Home, and finally to Champions. This is a bit of a grind, but it’s a safe way to bypass Champions’ predatory VP economy.

With Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Season 8 being essentially one of the Gen 9 regulations in terms of ruleset and legal Pokemon, and with Pokemon Champions potentially having access to most Pokemon in the series and all gimmicks, too, it truly could be the epitome of a competitive environment for the series. This is also thanks to Gen 9’s approach, but with Season 41 fast approaching and no future updates planned, this seems like a swan song for Scarlet and Violet.

The End of Gen 9 Pokemon Games May Be a Slow-Burn

Based on what is currently known, the World Championship for 2026 will still exclusively take place within Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which is fair to all those who have put time and effort into mastering Gen 9’s rulesets and roster of critters. However, April 1 marks the moment when Gen 9 leaves the spotlight and the stage, which is even clearer with the official statement highlighting how there will be no further rankings or rewards for players.

These updates have been monthly so far, and in fact, it has been 41 months since Seasons started. After April 1, the playerbase for ranked battles will likely start dwindling with no more start-of-season spikes of activity. As such, even if it’s just gradual, fans will need to be prepared for the end of support for online battles in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and the same may happen for Tera Raid events further down the line.