A portion of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players are losing their save files
The most worrying part is there are multiple things causing the bug to occur.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players are facing a new affliction; no, it isn’t falling through the floor during battle or the previously scuffed Battle Stadium, it’s worse than that. First reported by Kotaku, players of the game have reported on Reddit that they’ve lost their save files unexpectedly.
The worst part of all this, as noted by Kotaku, is the fact that there is no single cause for this save-deleting bug that’s afflicting a handful of players. Some have reported it happening after connecting Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to the Pokemon GO app, others said it occurred after downloading the new DLC, and some have had a different experience entirely.
Another player’s save files became corrupted after simply purchasing the DLC, seeing them bid farewell to 90 shiny Pokemon, and they’re not the only one losing their hard work. Players that have lost their save data following connecting to Pokemon GO have been affected right after connecting to the service, or a while after, after sending postcards.
Ultimately, something is very wrong with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet right now. Sure, this particular bug has only affected a very small percentage of players, but if, like them, you’ve a tonne of progress you’d rather not completely lose, it might be worth revisiting a different Pokemon game for the time being.
It’s also worth noting that some players have tried to recover a backup of their saves by holding Up + X + B while on the home screen of the game. Alas, this doesn’t work, because those affected have been unable to open their game once the save data has been corrupted.
As you might expect, plenty of these players have contacted Nintendo support about the issue, in the hopes their save data can be rescued one way or another. One player did manage to get in touch with a support agent who advised that they were looking into the issue, shortly before closing their ticket.
Another player contacted Nintendo support to no avail, but did discover the possibility of using Pokemon HOME to save some of their Pokemon when compatibility launches soon. How soon Pokemon HOME will support Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? It’s yet to be confirmed.
If this has affected you, do let us know! Here’s to hoping that not everyone's hard work as a Pokemon Trainer in Paldea is lost.