Pokémon Scarlet and Violet seem to use the same RNG seed under certain battle conditions

Rumors regarding the RNG (random number generator) seed being fixed in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet under certain battle conditions have been circulating among players. In our testing, we were able to confirm this theory that the RNG seed is indeed fixed in the Battle Stadium’s Casual Battles.

The theory started with a report from Reddit user Lord-Trolldemort, who pointed out that something strange was going on regarding accuracy in the Battle Stadium’s Doubles matches. They reported that when using the move Frost Breath, which has 90% accuracy, as the first attack, it missed 14 out of 14 times. This led them to believe that the game may be using the same RNG seed for every battle.

Twitter user Anubis carried out similar tests and came to the same conclusion, pointing out that moves below 91% accuracy will always miss on the first turn.

We also verified the theory. When using a Pokémon holding Bright Powder, an item that reduces the accuracy of opposing moves by 10%, the opposing Pokémon’s attack would miss every time it attacked first. This happened through dozens of battles without fail. In other words, it’s clear that the RNG is fixed in some way. This could also be behind why some players have been saying Bright Powder is so strong.

The previously mentioned Anubis also reported that the second Pokémon (on the same side) to attack in Doubles battles will get a guaranteed hit with one-hit KO moves such as Sheer Cold. These one-hit KO moves generally have an accuracy of 30% (but can vary depending on the situation). These are high risk, high reward moves, but under the current circumstances, they can be timed for a guaranteed knock out. We were also able to verify this.

Additionally, we tested using the move Metronome because of a tweet going around saying it would always use Happy Hour when going first.

This testing was done in the Battle Stadium’s Casual Battles by using Metronome in numerous battles. Our results each time we opened with the move were that it would be Happy Hour whenever the opponent selected a status move and would be Spit Up if they used an attacking move.

Randomness is a crucial element to battles in the Pokémon series. They liven them up and help determine whether attacks will hit or deal a critical blow. If the RNG seed doesn’t change, then the flow of battle becomes fixed in place. Because of how important it is, some players are pointing out the issue as a cause for concern. Especially considering that Ranked Battles are scheduled to start in December, and players are worried about if this issue will carry over to those as well.

However, it might be too early to worry yet. This fixed RNG phenomenon has only been seen in the Battle Stadium’s Casual Battles, and the same tests such as using Metronome and one-hit KO moves in battles against friends didn’t yield fixed results. Since this is the case when battling against friends, it’s not assured that Ranked Battles will have this fixed RNG issue.

With that said, it does limit the fun that can be had with Casual Battles. For a series like Pokémon where RNG is so important, it’s understandable why there’s apprehension around the battle environment being offered here. Hopefully the same issues won’t find their way into Ranked Battles and a fix comes to properly implement RNG into Casual Battles.

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-11-28 19:17 JST)