A confusing headline has made it sound as if Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet are free to download until April 30. That is not what Nintendo or The Pokémon Company are offering.

The current free item is tied to an in-game Tera Raid Battle event, not a free copy of either game. The Pokémon Company says Chesnaught with the Mightiest Mark is appearing in black crystal Tera Raid Battles from April 23, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. PDT through April 30, 2026, at 4:59 p.m. PDT. To participate, players need to download the latest Poké Portal News inside Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet.

That is the key distinction. Players can download the latest in-game event news for free, but they still need the game. Nintendo’s own store continues to list Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet at $59.99 each, with the double pack listed at $119.99.

There is also a separate “free update” that may add to the confusion. Nintendo lists Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet among the Nintendo Switch games receiving free Nintendo Switch 2 updates. Those updates became available on June 5, 2025 and improve visuals and frame rate on Nintendo Switch 2. Again, that is a free technical update for the games, not a free download of the full games themselves.

So the accurate version is simple: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet players can download the latest Poké Portal News to access a limited-time Chesnaught raid event until April 30. The games themselves are not being given away for free.

The misleading part is the phrase “free download.” In this case, it refers to event data delivered inside the game, not the full Nintendo Switch titles. For anyone who does not already own Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet, there is no official free-game offer shown on Nintendo’s store or Pokémon’s event page.

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