Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's first limited format, Regulation G, has just begun, and early data confirms how eagerly VGC players have been anticipating the change.

Scarlet and Violet's Regulation G may have officially kicked off on May 1st, but hardcore VGC players have been prepping and practicing for the new format since it was announced over a month ago. With Regulation G allowing for a limited number of Legendary Pokémon per team, it completely shakes up the metagame with the emergence of threats like Caylrex, Terapagos, and more. Naturally, players rushed to the popular battle simulator, Pokémon Showdown, to test out the format before it went live in Scarlet and Violet.

During that month of lead-up, VGC Reg G was the most-played Gen IX format (excluding random battles) at Pokémon Showdown in April, according to a data chart shared by popular content creator Freezai. VGC's biggest competitor is Smogon's Overused (OU) singles format, which saw more plays than VGC in the months leading up to Reg G's announcement, according to Smogon's stats. In other words, it appears that the hype surrounding Scarlet and Violet's new rules has caused doubles to overtake the most popular singles format for the time being.

Now that Regulation G is officially available in the Gen IX games, Pokémon Showdown may lose some numbers in the VGC section, but the format is still very fresh and has plenty of room to grow. We’ve already seen Zamazenta come out of nowhere and outclass his legendary Gen VIII dog, Zacian. And no one can stop talking about that strange Dewgong and Gloom team-up that defeated some of the best players in the game. Who knows what unexpected Pokémon will surprise us next? Thanks to Pokémon Showdown, players have a place to try out different builds, teams, and strategies efficiently, so we can expect the VGC fever to stick around as long as the Reg G meta doesn’t get old.