Pokemon Scarlet & Violet could scrap Legends Arceus catch mechanic and fans are furious
Game Freak / The Pokemon CompanyWording on the official website for Pokemon Violet & Scarlet has fans worried that Gen 9 may be dropping Legends Arceus’ catching mechanic. Some players are threatening to boycott if the beloved feature is removed.
The Pokemon community was surprised when Game Freak revealed that Pokemon Gen 9 will not only be launching in 2022 but that it’s also going to be a fully open-world adventure.
Excitement for the ambitious title waned for some fans, however, after players discovered that the RPG could drop the catching mechanics from Pokemon Legends Arceus.
Game Freak / The Pokemon CompanyWill Pokemon Scarlet & Violet go back to turn-based catching?
Unlike Legends Arceus, Game Freak was explicit that Gen 9 was an open-world RPG. In the marketing, they detailed the title as having “various towns that blend seamlessly into the wilderness with no borders.”
One thing less certain is whether the 2022 games will bring back Pokemon Legends’ catching mechanics. In the Hisui region, Trainers had a free-roaming reticle that allowed them to aim and throw their Poke Ball anywhere.
The official website for Scarlet & Violet has caused a stir in the community as some players believe the description of the game alludes to turn-based catching making its return. “You’ll be able to experience the true joy of the series—battling against wild Pokemon in order to catch them—now in an open-world game that players of any age can enjoy,” it reads. Over on the r/PokeLeaks forum, Pokemon fans picked up on the wording and shared their concerns.
Game Freak / The Pokemon Company“I would be really disappointed if they drop the catch mechanic tbh.. would really feel like a massive step back again,” a user wrote. Another said, “They need to include the catching mechanic. Like it’s fully-fledged open world now, it would feel super strange if it’s not included.”
Some players even stated that they would boycott the game if Game Freak goes back to the old system. “They can NEVER go back to random battles. ill never buy it” and “Took the words out of my mouth. If this is more like Sword/Shield as opposed to Legends then I’m out” read two comments.
It should be pointed out that Game Freak has yet to confirm that the Pokemon Legends Arceus catching mechanic will not be in Scarlet & Violet. At this point, it’s just pure speculation.
The quick anger and backlash, however, is proof that for many players, it would be hard to go back from the free-ranged design in Hisui to the turn-based used in the classic RPGs.