Pokémon Scarlet and Violet players lose their save data after update

Pokémon Go connection or DLC pre-order may be at fault

Players of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet report that all their game saves were deleted after they downloaded and installed update 1.2.0 for the Nintendo Switch title. This patch helped a bit with the ongoing performance issues that have been plaguing the open-world game since launch and introduced two additional Paradox Pokémon, which are available in 5-Star Tera Raids right now – you can find our guide to defeating them under the link above.

As is often the case with updates for video games, the patch not only fixed some issues, but also caused a few brand-new problems. In this case, players not only can’t connect with others via link codes anymore, which is especially annoying when trying to coordinate with a raid team to catch the two new Pokémon, it also seems like their save data is at risk.

Several players have reported that their entire save files in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have been deleted for unknown reasons. Retracing their steps, it seems like there are two possible culprits for this frustrating event: the new Pokémon Go connection or the announced DLCs.

The newly-announced Scarlet and Violet DLC may have something to do with the lost save files :: The Pokémon Company / Nintendo

Linking Scarlet and Violet to the mobile game allows you to send postcards to Paldea, which in turn unlock encounters with Vivillon, which have different wing patterns depending on the origin of the postcard. Pre-ordering the DLC has the advantage of being able to claim a Hisuian Zoroark immediately, which has players very excited.

Every player reporting deleted save data has either connected Pokémon Go to their game or pre-ordered the DLC – or done both of these things. Annoyingly, it also seems like they can’t recover their save files from the backup, which usually works by pressing Up+B+X on the Home screen.

“I lost a 595 hour save file because of this, and so far nothing can be done to recover my save. We are now around a dozen people this has happened to. Not all have linked to [Pokémon] Go, some experienced it just after downloading DLC. So it may be more of a patch issue than connected to Go,” stated one of the affected players.

While it’s currently not a widespread issue, it’s something you should be aware of before linking your accounts or purchasing the DLC.