How To Restart Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

If you enjoy what you read and want to support an independent publication, you can join our Patreon to receive extra benefits and a physical welcome kit filled with official merchandise sent directly to your front door! View our premium benefits here. Thank you.

After months of waiting, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are finally here!

In an attempt to reinvigorate the Pokemon franchise that we know and love, generation nine is an open world journey filled to the brim with new and familiar Pokemon. One such newbie being the adorably cute Fidough, which you can catch with ease by using our how to get Fidough guide

Of course, with so much newness to explore it does mean we have a tendency to act first and think later. 

We get it – you want your Pokemon fix and you want it now. We’re exactly the same. The thing is, by rushing in without thinking through your decisions, you can make mistakes early on. Mistakes you can’t easily erase. 

delete save data switch

But fear not! While Pokemon Scarlet & Violet won’t allow you to have two saves at the same time, we can show you how to restart the game. It’ll be like your first attempt never happened.

We’ve done it before in our how to restart Pokemon Legends: Arceus article, and we’re ready to offer you the solution once more. 

How To Restart Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

delete pokemon violet

To restart Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, go into the “system settings” on your Switch. Select “data management”, then scroll down to “delete save data” at the bottom of the page. Finally, select your Pokemon save data and click delete. 

Now your previous save data will be erased, leaving you to restart Pokemon Scarlet & Violet the right way. 

Please bear in mind that once you confirm deletion you can’t undo it. Your Pokemon save data will be gone for good.

delete all save data switch

Fortunately, the system will double check you’re sure about your decision before you finalise everything, just in case you get cold feet and change your mind. 

Which brings me to another question you might be asking yourself – whether you should restart. After all, a hard reset is a BIG decision to make. 

Should You Restart Pokemon Scarlet & Violet?

Ultimately, the choice is yours. 

There’s no right or wrong answer to this question; this is your Pokemon journey, not ours. Still, it’s worth keeping in mind that any Pokemon, items, and storyline progress you’d made will now vanish. Meaning you have to work double time to get those supplies back. 

But, more importantly, by deleting the game you might lose out on event exclusives from mystery gifts. An idea that’s worst than death for a lot of trainers. Maybe have look at the current Pokemon Scarlet & Violet mystery gift codes to make sure you won’t lose out.

Making progress won’t be difficult if you’re restarting early on in the game, but if you’re restarting several hours in then you might want to reconsider. 

If you’re undecided on what course of action is best for you, I’d suggest sleeping on it. That way you can tackle the problem with a fresh perspective, basically allowing you to make an informed decision. 

And if you’re simply feeling a little overwhelmed by this new open world, you can check out our how to get Schroodle guide. It could be you just need a little more guidance before you settle in. 


This article may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to purchase an item we may earn a commission.

retro dodo team 2024

Like our content?

Join our Patreon Community.