In late September, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo announced a joint promotion with GameStop. Through October 15th, Shiny editions of the legendary mascots from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are being offered at physical GameStop stores in the US and at EB Games outlets in New Zealand and Australia. Involved local stores in other countries such as Japan and France were also added in the campaign.
Initial Problems and Code Shortages
However, the giveaway faced difficulties from the beginning—enthusiasts reported that their nearby shops had exhausted their code supplies in the period before the giveaway. Now, about halfway through the promotional period, GameStop has restocked the codes, but chances are your nearest outlet has already run out.
Because of high demand, the first wave of complimentary Shiny Koraidon and Miraidon codes went very quickly.
On Saturday, October 4, the retailer declared a code restock on X. The company's statement explained that they had collaborated with Pokémon's creators to provide additional codes, but there is a limitation. "We have received from Pokémon a limited number of receipt codes, approximately 50 per store."
Reselling and Exploitation Problems
Stores initially received fifty codes, but they quickly ran through them. Even with the event limiting codes to one per person, some online auction posts appeared with several codes available. This has continued for the new round of codes. One of the top replies on social media stated, "Are these the codes?" accompanied by images of eBay listings for the codes, with at least one having several codes on offer.
Mixed Experiences for Players
Certain fans were able to snag codes during the weekend from their nearby shops, while some had no such luck. "Hoping for a third opportunity. Just called my GameStop. They’re out of codes (again)," one individual commented, before other players came forward and gave them spare codes for the shiny legendary Pokémon.
Unanswered Questions
The reason these shiny legendary Pokémon weren't earned through a in-game Tera Raid or given away online via Mystery Gift is still unclear. For now, you'll have to head to your nearest retailer and hope they still have codes remaining if you want a Shiny Koraidon or Shiny Miraidon.
