Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are now horror games thanks to these disturbing bugs

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
(Image credit: Nintendo/@t_a_b_e_r_u)

There's been a lot of chatter about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet bugs on launch day, and there's certainly a lot to talk about - but now we've crossed the line from performance issues and visual artifacts to true nightmare fuel.

You see that thing in the image above, right? It's not just me? It's got such a creepypasta or SCP vibe I've gotta make sure. That comes from a clip by a Japanese Twitter user showing off some of the, er, side effects of the game's multiplayer features. Apparently, sometimes when a co-op partner hops aboard a Pokemon mount, they'll just go full Attack on Titan.

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We haven't seen that specific glitch replicated elsewhere just yet, but it seems more than one upsetting visual misstep happens in multiplayer. Take a look at the clip from Reddit below. A pair of trainers attempt to go for a selfie just before a Fletchling flies through one of their heads and gets stuck flapping on the rock wall in the background. The trainer in the background then starts clapping - by dislocating her own elbow and repeatedly slapping the misshapen limb.

pok%C3%A9mon_violet_one_of_the_traits_of_a_true from r/GamePhysics

Admittedly I skipped Scorn, but Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are quickly becoming the most disturbing horror games I've seen all year. It seems these specific terrors are tied to playing to playing with a co-op partner, so for once safety comes from being alone.

Players have been able to find some temporary relief from Scarlet and Violet's performance issues by simply resetting the game, but that's not enough to get Pokemon fans to fully overlook the duology's problems.

If you're willing to brave the terrors, these are the best Pokemon Scarlet and Violet starters to choose.

Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.