Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s next Ranked Battle ruleset, Regulation F, has officially been announced, and there’s going to be another big shakeup in the meta.
Previous Scarlet and Violet regulations have slowly added more and more Pokémon into the mix, from the Paradox ‘mons, Treasures of Ruin, transferred ‘mons, and most recently additions from The Teal Mask DLC. Regulation F will continue this trend with another big wave of familiar and unfamiliar faces joining competitive play.
What is Regulation F in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet VGC?
Regulation F will add Pokémon from The Indigo Disk DLC, which will release on Dec. 14. The Indigo Disk is Part Two of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero and the continuation of The Teal Mask. This means we will likely be seeing brand new Pokémon in VGC for the very first time, including Duraludon’s evolution, Archaludon.
We’ll also see the return of strong meta threats like Metagross, Whimsicott, and the Fire/Dark-type Starter everyone’s been dreading, Incineroar. Metagross is a fan-favorite pseudo-legendary, Whimsicott is another Prankster Tailwind user like the popular Tornadus, and Incineroar is arguably the best Pokémon in VGC with all the tricks it has up its sleeve.
According to Nimbasa City Post, the full list of legal Pokémon in Regulation F will be released Dec. 25.
When does Regulation F start in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
Regulation F begins on Thursday, Jan. 4 and ends Tuesday, Apr. 30. With The Indigo Disk DLC dropping mid-December, this will give players three weeks to test the waters with any new or returning Pokémon being thrown into the meta.
As previously mentioned, we can expect players to immediately gravitate toward Incineroar once the DLC drops, whether they’ll be trying to use it or counter it. The Gen VII Fire Starter has everything you could ever ask for in a strong VGC ‘mon, like the Intimidate ability, Fake Out, and Parting Shot.
