Pokémon Scarlet and Violet fans are annoyed about being stuck in a school uniform all game

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are mere hours from release, but some fans are already getting down in the dumps about their prospective journeys across Paldea. The newest additions to the Pokémon series feature a huge open world with plenty of mysteries to uncover and Pokémon to catch, but some folks are getting hung up on one particular detail — the fact that, despite the ability to customize your clothes in the game, all of your sartorial options are variants of the default school uniform for the Naranja Academy.

Different clothing options and other aesthetic customization options have been a staple of the series since X and Y, and have allowed players to tweak their avatar to their liking and personalize their journey to a degree. While other customization options will appear in Scarlet and Violet, it seems that players will be stuck with some variation of the school uniform for the duration of the game, much to the chagrin of many.

Over on Reddit, user Company_ expressed their frustration in a thread titled “Is anyone else seriously bummed out we’re stuck with school uniforms the entire game?” Company_ goes on to explain that one of their favorite things from previous games was to “explore…for different outfit options and play dress up with my character.” Other commenters echoed the opinion in the replies, with some describing it as “a huge step backwards” and “just weird.”

Perhaps part of the reason some segments of the fanbase feel so strongly about this particular issue is due to an aging demographic of players. The first Pokémon games came out in 1996, so fans who have been following the series for over 25 years may no longer feel as much of a connection with the traditional 10-year-old protagonist. Being forced to wear a school uniform for the duration of the game may simply draw attention to that disconnect, leaving some fans feeling cold. Here’s hoping that Game Freak adds some DLC clothing options down the line to appease the folks who don’t fancy wearing their school shorts all the time — even if they are comfy and easy to wear.