Pokémon fans have finally been notified of when exactly they can expect to learn more about the franchise’s plans for 2021.
Confirmed earlier today, a dedicated Direct presentation due to air on YouTube and Twitch kicks off tomorrow, February 26th, and will assuredly be packed with several announcements to celebrate the Gotta Catch ‘Em All hobby’s 25th anniversary. While there’ll no doubt be a handful of surprises that nobody could ever account for (Pokémon Sleep, anyone?), one of the major reveals Trainers are collectively hoping to get wind of concerns this year’s core RPG entries. While no such thing has been set in stone just yet, Game Freak’s usual modus operandi dictates that new installments are headed to Nintendo Switch sooner rather than later, but what will they entail?
Ultimately, there are just two potential outcomes: remakes or the commencement of Gen IX. Were it not for the deluge of leaks preceding this showcase, we’d usually say either has an equal chance of being correct, but we’re definitely throwing our lot in with the former this time around.
It was only a few days ago, after all, that prolific insider Dark Ho-Oh explicitly stated that a live stream event was scheduled to take place this week and that, among other things, it would serve as the venue to announce a return to the Sinnoh region. Reimaginings of Diamond & Pearl have been rumored to be in the works for some time now, of course, and Gen IV is naturally next in line to receive such treatment, following 2014’s Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire.
What remains unclear at this point in time, however, is whether these will be traditional Pokémon games or of the Let’s Go variety. The latter, while similar in terms of gameplay, are considered to be spinoffs that cater more to casual audiences, though for what it’s worth, Dark Ho-Oh believes the two to be separate entities. Let’s Go Catching will be demoed in addition to Diamond & Pearl, they say.
Whatever the outcome, we’ll be watching with keen interest when the broadcast goes live and will bring you all the big news as and when it breaks, so stay tuned!