For enthusiasts, today marks Pokémon Day, an occasion that unveils the brand’s plans for the upcoming year during its annual showcase.
Excitingly, fans received news that the next installment, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, is set to launch on Nintendo Switch in 2025. This revelation sparked immediate speculation about whether the game could be an early release on the yet-to-be-confirmed sequel to Nintendo’s beloved console, rumored to potentially launch next spring despite the absence of an official announcement.
Speculation intensified due to a reference to a “simultaneous” release in the game’s trailer and the mention of multiple “Switch systems” in a tweet from the Pokémon Company. Many now believe that the secret has been uncovered, though some pointed out the existence of different versions of the original console.
Recent entries in the series, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, faced criticism for performance issues after their 2022 launch. The unconventional release of Palworld, described as “Pokémon with guns,” earlier this year led some fans to question whether the original series had grown stale. However, the response to Pokémon Legends: Z-A has been generally positive.
A brief two-minute teaser showcased a computer-generated Pikachu navigating a wireframe city, with subsequent scenes revealing other Pokémon in various locations like cafes, plazas, and rivers. The trailer disclosed that the game is set in Lumiose City, featuring an Eiffel Tower-like structure at its center. The closing moments introduced a rainbow-colored S-shape, a symbol familiar to Pokémon fans representing mega evolutions, generating considerable excitement among players.
The event also saw the announcement of a new app version of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, along with updates to Pokémon Go and other spin-offs. However, with the 2025 release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the Nintendo Switch’s upcoming release calendar appears relatively quiet.
Despite recent titles like Mario Vs. Donkey Kong receives generally favorable reviews and Princess Peach: Showtime! scheduled for a March release, Nintendo has not revealed additional in-house titles beyond remakes of Luigi’s Mansion 2 and the role-playing game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Nintendo proudly states it has sold nearly 140 million Switch consoles since its 2017 launch, surpassing the reported 117 million PlayStation 4s worldwide.
