Three years after the release of Pokemon Sword and Shield came Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in 2022. Taking that into consideration, it would mean that this year will be the release date of another mainline Pokemon game.
While Pokemon Legends: Z-A is already confirmed to be a 2025 title, it isn't considered to be a mainline game but rather a huge spin-off just like Pokemon Legends: Arceus. With the imminent announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2, we'll likely receive a mainline Pokemon game this year.
This theory is backed up by known Pokemon leaker @Riddler_Khu. In an X post, the Pokemon leaker shared that the latest project that wasn't leaked earlier in 2024 is now set to arrive the the next-gen Nintendo console.
According to @Riddler_Khu, there are currently two Pokemon projects being developed, codenamed Ikkaku and Gaia. The Pokemon leaker also shared an image of a dolphin, possibly implying a Pokemon Black and White remake.
This means that the third Pokemon project will not be a mainline game, nor a brand-new Gen 10 as many had hoped.
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Nintendo and Game Freak have been doing a lot of remakes within the Pokemon franchise recently. Titles such as Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Let's Go Pikachu, and Let's Go Eevee are just a few examples of how Game Freak remade past mainline titles.
As exciting as it may sound, Pokemon Gen 10 might not come this year but rather will be announced this year and will be released next year, just in time for Pokemon's 20th anniversary.
However, Pokemon fans all over Reddit think that @Riddler_Khu might be unreliable given that they incorrectly predicted almost every Pokemon leak last year. While many question their credibility, some are still hopeful to finally see another Pokemon game this year.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were charming and ambitious, but the original Switch's hardware limitations also contributed to its poor performance and various bugs.
Now that the Switch 2 is confirmed to have backward compatibility, going back to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet as you wait for Gen 10 will be worth a shot.
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