What to expect from next week's Pokémon Presents
The Pokémon Company has announced a Pokémon Presents presentation scheduled for February 27th. We know what to expect, but there could be some surprises too.
This morning, on social media, The Pokémon Company announced a new Pokémon Presents presentation scheduled for February 27th. For fans of the series, you might now this already, but February 27th is known as Pokémon Day because it is the anniversary of the release of the original games. The Pokémon Company has held a presentation on this day every year for the last few years to update fans on the current status of the various Pokémon games and other media. Perhaps the biggest question is the already announced Pokémon Legends: Z-A, but is that all we can expect from this showcase?
Pokémon Legends: Z-A New Trailer & Release Date
Legends: Z-A was announced in a reveal trailer one year ago, during 2024’s February 27th Pokémon Presents, but fans have not heard any news on the mainline Pokémon game since then. This game is a continuation of the first game in the Legends series, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. According to the reveal trailer, this game will take place in Lumiose City, the large city featured in Pokémon X & Y’s Kalos region, also known as the 6th generation of Pokémon. Legends: Z-A is still planned to release sometime in 2025, so to not hear about it during next week’s presentation would be strange.
There is so much we still don’t know about Legends: Z-A. The reveal trailer was very stylish, but currently, we have yet to see any gameplay. According to a social media post from Nintendo of America, the game takes place “entirely within Lumiose City.” This is an unexpected shift from the previous game, Legends: Arceus, which had the player traveling to various open zones in the wild of Hisui. So, while we don’t know exactly what to expect, it is safe to say that Legends: Z-A will likely be a very different experience from Legends: Arceus, rather than a similar sequel simply set in a new region.
Last month’s reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 also raises questions about which console Legends Z-A will release for. Thankfully, Z-A is confirmed to be a game for the original Switch, according to comments made during an investor meeting earlier this month, reported by VideoGamesChronicle. Fans won’t have to buy the new console later this year to play this new Pokémon game. Though, with backwards compatibility confirmed, when the Switch 2 does become available, Legends Z-A will also be playable there. During next week’s presentation we could get a release date. The exact timing of a release date could also hint more at the release date for the new console. If Z-A is a Switch 1 game, it would make sense for it to launch before the Switch 2. Though don’t take that as fact, it could just as easily be a cross-generation title or something like that.
As with all Pokémon Presents, the many various Pokémon games will all receive small updates. This includes the recent Pokémon TCG Pocket, Pokémon GO, Pokémon Unite, and other games. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet could even get some new content in the form of tera raid battles.
Generation 10 Pokémon Games
But then there are the unknowns. There are two big announcements that are bound to happen eventually, the question is more so if it will happen during next week’s presentation or not. 2024 was the first year that a major Pokémon game was not released since 2015, and in 2023 it was only two rounds of DLC for Scarlet and Violet. This could be a new pattern in Pokémon’s release schedule, but one year is not enough to know for sure. Scarlet and Violet sold well, but did receive a lot of backlash for its performance. It’s possible that this backlash was enough to cause the huge company to decide to slow down development and focus on higher quality releases going forward. One other factor here is Palworld, which released in early 2024, and is now engaged in a patent infringement lawsuit brought up by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. On some level, Pokémon must be feeling the presence of competition for the first time in a long time. This could mean they will want to ensure the best launch for a new game as possible.
One possibility for this presentation is an announcement of the next generation of Pokémon games. Scarlet and Violet were the 9th generation of Pokémon games, making the next one a major milestone. 2026 also marks the 30th anniversary of the video game franchise. Releasing the 10th generation of Pokémon games on the 30th anniversary of Pokémon sounds like a timeframe they would love to hit. This could mean we get our first glimpse of that next generation during next week’s presentation. There’s no guessing as to what these games would be titled, but it would be exciting to hear about.
Pokémon generally does its own presentation separately from Nintendo’s Direct showcases, but with the brand-new console on its way later this year, having a new Pokémon game to show off would go a long way. So, if Pokémon was ever to show up during a Nintendo Direct rather than their own showcase, this could be the year, especially for the next game after Z-A that will likely be designed for the Switch 2.
Generation 5 Remakes
The other possibility for next week’s showcase is the next remake. Traditionally, the Pokémon remakes have been released according to their chronological release, often appearing between new games. The latest remakes were Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which were remakes of the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games. There was one major change with these remakes, however. In the past, Gamefreak has been the team behind all Pokémon games, both new and remakes. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were the first games that were developed by a new team. They also introduced a new art style rather than matching the style of the current Pokémon generation. This new style was not exactly beloved by all fans.
Chronologically, the next games to be remade are Pokémon Black and White, also known as the 5th generation of Pokémon games, originally released in 2010. This presentation could be the first glimpse at these new remakes, though, with the anniversary coming up and Legends: Z-A expected for this year, it might be too early for this. The Black and White remakes might be pushed back to allow focus on the newer games. The one thing that could change this is if the same developer that worked on Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is taking the reins, therefore giving Gamefreak the freedom to focus on the new games. Unfortunately, that could also mean the return of the less than beloved art style. For now, we will have to wait to see what will happen next week.
