GameStop's Glittering Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Legendary Pokémon Promotion Persists to Encounter Problems
In late September, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo revealed a collaborative event with GameStop. Until October 15, Shiny versions of the legendary mascots from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are being distributed at physical GameStop stores in the US and at EB Games outlets in New Zealand and Australia. Participating local stores in other countries such as Japan and France have also been added in the campaign.
Early Troubles and Code Shortages
Nonetheless, the giveaway faced difficulties from the beginning—enthusiasts stated that their nearby shops had run out of codes in the period before the event. Now, midway into the giveaway timeframe, GameStop has replenished codes, but chances are your local store has depleted its stock again.
Due to overwhelming demand, the first wave of free Shiny Koraidon and Shiny Miraidon code cards went very quickly.
On Saturday, October 4, GameStop announced a code restock on X. Their announcement explained that they had collaborated with The Pokémon Company to provide additional codes, but there's a catch. "We have received from Pokémon a restricted quantity of codes, approximately 50 per store."
Scalping and Resale Issues
Initially, stores were given 50 codes, but they were rapidly depleted. Even with the promotion limiting codes to a single code per individual, some online auction posts appeared with several codes available. That's remained true for the second batch of codes. A prominent response on social media stated, "Are these the codes?" alongside images of online sales for the codes, with at least one having several codes on offer.
Mixed Experiences for Fans
Some players managed to obtain codes during the weekend from their local stores, while others weren't so lucky. "Waiting on 3rd chance now. I contacted my local GameStop. They have no codes left (once more)," one individual commented, before other players stepped up and provided them with spare codes for the shiny legendary Pokémon.
Mystery Surrounding Distribution
Why the Shiny box legendaries were not obtainable via a in-game Tera Raid or distributed digitally via Mystery Gift is still unclear. For now, you must visit your nearest retailer and pray they have codes left if you want a shiny version of these legendary Pokémon.
