GameStop's Glittering Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Legendary Pokémon Promotion Persists to Be Problematic
Towards the end of September, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced a partnered promotion with the gaming retailer. Through October 15th, Glittering versions of the legendary mascots from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are being distributed at physical GameStop stores in the United States and at EB Games outlets in Australia and New Zealand. Participating stores in other countries such as France and Japan were also included in the promotion.
Initial Problems and Code Shortages
Nonetheless, the giveaway got off to a rocky start—enthusiasts stated that their local stores had run out of codes in the period before the event. Now, midway into the promotional period, GameStop has restocked the codes, but it's likely your local store has depleted its stock again.
Due to overwhelming demand, the initial batch of complimentary Shiny Koraidon and Miraidon codes were snapped up rapidly.
Saturday, October 4th, the retailer announced a replenishment of codes on X. The company's statement explained that they had collaborated with The Pokémon Company to make more codes available, but there is a limitation. "We have received from Pokémon a limited number of codes, approximately 50 per store."
Scalping and Resale Issues
Stores initially received 50 codes, but they quickly ran through them. Despite the promotion limiting codes to a single code per individual, some eBay listings appeared with several codes available. This has continued for the new round of codes. One of the top replies on social media stated, "Are these the codes?" accompanied by screenshots of online sales for the codes, with at least one having several codes on offer.
Varied Outcomes for Players
Certain fans managed to obtain codes over the weekend from their nearby shops, while others weren't so lucky. "Hoping for a third opportunity. I contacted my local GameStop. They’re out of codes (again)," a fan commented, before fellow enthusiasts came forward and gave them spare codes for Shiny Koraidon and Shiny Miraidon.
Unanswered Questions
The reason these shiny legendary Pokémon weren't earned through a in-game Tera Raid or distributed digitally via Mystery Gift is still unclear. For now, you'll have to head to your nearest retailer and hope they still have codes left if you desire a Shiny Koraidon or Shiny Miraidon.