At a special live-streamed event today, The Pokémon Company unveiled something fans have been waiting for: an open world Pokémon adventure. The next big entry in the franchise is called Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and it appears to be a huge evolution of the long-running RPG formula. The developers describe it as a “pre-make”, which is “a new challenge and a new frontier for the Pokémon world.”
The story takes place in the Sinnoh region, in a period that seems to be long before others Pokémon games, and includes some iconic monsters such as Piplup, with your choice of starters including Rowlet, Oshawott and Cyndaquil. It is expected to launch globally on the Switch in early 2022.
Here’s the premise:
While trainers explore the natural expanse Pokémon Legends: Arceus, they will encounter Pokémon that call these grand vistas home. To catch wild pokémon, players can study the pokémon’s behavior, sneak up to them, and then throw poké balls. Players can also battle wild Pokémon with their ally Pokémon. By throwing the pokeball that keeps their ally pokémon near a wild pokémon, players seamlessly engage in battle. This new gameplay angle aims to provide trainers with an immersive experience.
At the same event, the company also unveiled upcoming remakes of classics Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, which is also coming to the Switch.
The last major Pokémon release Sword and Shield on the Switch, which debuted in 2019 and was followed by several expansions. Those games also introduced an open-world-style region called the Wild Area, hinting at this next evolution. Also on the way is one League of Legends-style multiplayer game, called Pokémon Unite, which will enter open beta in March (in Canada at least), as well as a new version of the beloved Pokémon Snap
Today’s announcement comes as part of a 25th anniversary for the franchise. In addition to new games, The Pokémon Company will also host a virtual concert on February 27, headlined by Post Malone.