Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will launch in just over two weeks, with the latest reveal coming in the form of the Ghost-type puppy Greavard. Still, it's strange to see that Game Freak has only revealed 19 Scarlet and Violet Pokemon and one regional form ahead of launch, for a total of 20 critters, which is quite low compared to past generations, even for the standards of Pokemon Sword and Shield. Yesterday, The Pokemon Company shared a new trailer for Gen 9 games that shows five minutes of gameplay to recap the whole reveal cycle from the announcement in February to the main new features that players will experience.
This is not the first overview trailer that The Pokemon Company shared for Gen 9, as the one where Farigiraf was revealed was a 14-minute video that went over the various paths players can take in the open world of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, as well as Tera Raids and more. However, there is another important detail to note here, and it comes from the news cycle about Pokemon Sword and Shield from three years ago. In fact, the last pre-launch trailer from Gen 8 was an overview trailer that showed gameplay of new Pokemon, Gigantamax forms, and features available in the Galar regions, meaning there's a chance this will be the last video to come for Gen 9.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Latest Trailer Could Mean It's The Last Before Launch
Overview trailers are very helpful to highlight the main characteristics of new mainline Pokemon games ahead of launch, and even if they don't reveal new pieces of information, they are the best way to recap everything. Sometimes they also end up revealing something new about the games thanks to details that were previously left out of the equation, but this is not really the case for the latest video about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
As such, there's a strong possibility that The Pokemon Company will remain silent throughout the next two weeks apart from things like a launch trailer to further show gameplay footage, with no new information at all. If this is the case, then the latest trailer is a double-edged sword for a number of reasons, such as the fact that the actual last reveal dates back to October 25, which would make Gen 9 the one with the longest gap between the game's release date and an actual showcase. This could also cement the idea that this is going to be the future of new Pokemon projects to come after Gen 9, with only a few trailers coming out before launch.
An example is middle-stage evolutions, which Gen 7 revealed way before launch, but then both Gen 8 and 9 didn't, solidifying the idea that players can't expect much before release. This can be an effective strategy to a degree, but it also means that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's leaks became Game Freak's marketing in a sense, as they did contribute and continue to do so to the overall hype about Gen 9's launch.
If the latest overview trailer is indeed also the last for the entirety of Gen 9 excluding the rumored DLC, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Paradox Pokemon won't even be revealed before launch. These critters, according to the leaks, play a major role in the overarching story of the game, and they are also quite powerful in battle, with new Abilities and reshuffled type combinations based on the original types and the revised aesthetic. Overall, an overview trailer doesn't do much for Gen 9 at this point unless it's intended to be the last one, and that's likely not what the community wants or even expects.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 for Nintendo Switch.