Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s first restricted format, Regulation G, just started, and early data has already confirmed just how much VGC players were eagerly awaiting the change.
Scarlet and Violet’s Regulation G might’ve officially kicked off on May 1, but hardcore VGC players have been prepping and practicing the new format since it was announced a month ago. With Regulation G permitting the use of one restricted Legendary Pokémon per team, this completely shakes up the metagame with the emergence of threats like Caylrex, Terapagos, and more. Naturally, players rushed to the popular battle simulator, Pokémon Showdown, to test the format before it went live in Scarlet and Violet.
During that month of prep, VGC Reg G was the most-played Gen IX format (excluding random battles) on Pokémon Showdown in April, according to a data chart shared by popular content creator Freezai. VGC’s biggest competitor is Smogon’s Overused (OU) single format, which saw more games than VGC in the months before Reg G’s announcement based on Smogon’s stats. In other words, it seems the hype around Scarlet and Violet’s new ruleset helped doubles overtake the most popular singles format, for the time being.
Now that Regulation G is officially available in the Gen IX games, Pokémon Showdown may lose some numbers in the VGC section, but the format is still very fresh and with a lot of room for growth. We’ve already seen Zamazenta rise out of nowhere and outshine its fellow Gen VIII Legendary dog, Zacian. And no one can stop talking about that odd Dewgong and Gloom team beating out some of the best players in the game. Who knows which unexpected Pokémon will surprise us next? It’s thanks to Pokémon Showdown that players have a place to test out different builds, teams, and strategies efficiently, so we can expect the VGC fever to stick around as long as the Reg G meta doesn’t go stale.
If anything, this is another positive sign that more and more Pokémon players are getting into VGC. We’ve already seen in-person VGC events break the attendance record multiple times since Scarlet and Violet’s release, and it’s been great watching the community continue to grow.
The first Regulation G event will be Indianapolis Regionals this weekend, and the ruleset will last through the rest of the 2024 season, covering both the North America International Championships and Worlds.
