A new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet distribution event featuring unique Shiny Legendary Pokémon is underway, but it’s proving to be something of a disaster for some players. The first couple of Generation 9 titles are approaching the end of their life cycle, as Nintendo is set to release Pokémon Legends: Z-A in October, and then all eyes will be on the potential Gen 10 games, expected to be announced soon.

Nintendo is hosting a special distribution event, as reported by Serebii, granting players the chance to get a Shiny Koraidon or a Shiny Miraidon for Scarlet and Violet. The event, however, is reportedly messy, with many different types of complaints. Some fans have mentioned how hard it is to get a code, while others are locked out of that possibility because the event isn’t happening in their region.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Finally Gets Shiny Koraidon & Miraidon

The Legendaries Were Previously Shiny-Locked

The Shiny Koraidon and Shiny Miraidon distribution event is happening between September 26 and October 16, across several regions. In the United States, these codes are being handed out at GameStop stores, while players in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can get them at EB Games. In Japan, the codes are available at various local game stores. The codes are free and require no in-store purchases.

Only one of these previously Shiny-locked Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet can be redeemed per save. If you’re playing Scarlet, you’ll only be able to redeem a Shiny Miraidon. If you’re playing Violet, you’ll only be able to redeem a Shiny Koraidon. If you want both these Shiny Legendaries, you’ll need to trade with other players, trade with yourself on another console, or use Pokémon HOME transfers.

What Fans Are Saying About The Shiny Koraidon & Miraidon Distribution Event

There Are Many Complaints About The Current Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Event

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Shiny Miraidon roars. — Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Shiny Miraidon roars.

The distribution event is great in the sense that the Shiny lock on these Legendaries has finally been lifted, though it does seem like it is facing a few problems. One of the first and most notable ones is that it’s restricted to specific regions. Players in the majority of the global South and even Europe are locked out from the chance of obtaining Shiny Koraidon and Shiny Miraidon.

User GianShiavi on X, for example, requests that someone send them a code from the event, since Brazil isn’t hosting the distribution event. Another complaint from players is that they are restricted to only having one of these Shiny Legendaries. User A Choya on X says that “we shouldn’t need both games to get both Shinies.”

In the U.S., because the event is restricted to GameStop stores, obtaining the code can be troublesome. User VickyChaiTea on X reports an enormous line to enter GameStop. This is likely due to a combination of facts: not only are there some fans interested in the Scarlet and Violet codes, but this Friday, September 26, is the date of the arrival of the valuable Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolutions cards.

Some players who have managed to get into their local GameStop have reported that the staff is requesting an in-store purchase. This is shown by user Attica’s post on X. They claim that the store requires a $25 minimum purchase for the code to be distributed. However, the official GameStop account on X has already shared that no purchase is required to obtain the code.

The Shiny Legendary distribution for Pokémon Sword and Shield faced similar problems back in 2021, from the lack of coverage in certain regions and even reports of purchase requests for the code to be delivered. Hopefully, most of these issues can be resolved soon, as the hype starts to quiet down, and players can calmly get their Shiny Koraidon or Shiny Miraidon for free for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.