In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet competitive ranked battles allow competitive trainers from all over the world to duel with some of the strongest teams in the game. Throughout Scarlet and Violet, the meta and the ruleset will shift over time with new ranked series, keeping the grind to the top of the Pokémon ranked ladder fresh.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Ranked Series 2 is now here, giving trainers an altered list of restricted Pokémon which will lead to some fresh team compositions. However, it’s never quite as simple as just picking your best Pokémon Scarlet Pokémon or best Pokémon Violet Pokémon team and jumping into battle – here’s everything you need to know about competitive play, as well as this series’ dates, ruleset, and more.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet competitive ranked explained
Competitive Pokémon Scarlet and Violet ranked battles can be found in the Battle Stadium. This is accessed via your in-game menu. You’ll be matched up with players at a similar rank to you. As you climb the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet ranks, you’ll face off against tougher opponents.
The most commonly played and most competitive ranked mode is double battles. In this, you enter a match with a roster of six Pokémon, then select four to take into battle. While your opponent can see your team of six, they won’t know which four you selected.
If your own Pokémon that you caught during your playthrough of Scarlet and Violet aren’t strong enough, you can always use a rental team. Popular YouTubers and professional Pokémon players will often share rental codes online so that you can use their teams in competitive play too.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Ranked Series 2 dates
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Ranked Series 2 will run from February 1 to March 31. This is the usual duration of a Ranked Series, giving players two whole months to climb the ladder.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Ranked Series 2 ruleset
The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Ranked Series 2 ruleset allows any Pokémon found in the Paldea Pokedex, except for legendaries (such as Miraidon and Koraidon).
Paradox Pokemon, such as Flutter Mane or Iron Hands, have been permitted for the first time in Series 2.
Do note that Pokémon that can technically be bred or caught via Tera Raid events but aren’t in the Paldea Pokedex (such as regular Wooper and Quasire, or the Mightiest Mark Charizard) are excluded from ranked play. A full list of restricted Pokémon can be found below.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet ranked banned Pokémon
These are the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet banned Pokémon in ranked battles during Series 2:
- Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard
- Scorbunny, Raboot, Cinderace
- Froakie, Frogadier, Greninja
- Galarian Meowth, Perrserker
- Wooper and Quagsire
- Ting-Lu
- Chien-Pao
- Wo-Chien
- Chi-Yu
- Koraidon
- Miraidon
So that’s everything you need to know about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet ranked battles for this season. If you’re a battling novice, check out our Pokémon type chart, which will tell you everything you need to know about type matchups.