While Pokemon franchise won't be getting a new main game to coincide with its 30th anniversary this year, that doesn't mean the series will sit idle while the milestone passes. While the fans wait Pokemon Winds and Waves to be released in 2027, Pokemon started 2026 very well. The Pokemon Company re-released Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen (first major reissue since 2017), give the cult classic Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness on Nintendo Switch Online (although that version had some major issues) saw their highest rating ever with Pokemon Pokopiaand the highly anticipated official battle simulator Pokemon Champions coming to Nintendo Switch and mobile phones on April 8. Besides video games, Pokemon also opened its own theme park in Japan on February 5: PokePark Kanto.
From Pokemon won't be releasing a new main title this year, the companies behind it are trying to celebrate the series in other ways like those highlighted above. However, they could only be the tip of the iceberg, because while the plans of the franchise after Championsthere is a lot of potential for a more nostalgic release. And if this potential is realized, then 2026 and 2027 could be two of the best years, Pokemon long time fan.
These are the 6 Pokemon that FireRed and LeafGreen players will want to carry over to Champions
Since the Switch versions of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have been confirmed to be compatible with Pokemon Champions, it's worth converting the 6 mons.
Potential retro Pokemon plans
The big question is what else The Pokemon Company has in store after this spring. For a milestone as big as 30 years, a name as big as Pokemon it's unlikely he'll leave his video game plans for a few spring releases and be done with it. Mobile games like Pokemon Go and Pokemon Masters EX will undoubtedly continue to update throughout the year, but perhaps there is hope for another retro Pokemon ports out FireRed and LeafGreen because there are no brand new games ready in the near future.
Even though it doesn't have a date yet, XDpredecessor Pokemon Colosseum is already confirmed to be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online GameCube library. And while the dream would be to see major game lines that don't already have Switch remakes come to the console, there's no evidence that's going to happen.
Granted, if there were plans for this, it makes sense that they started FireRed and LeafGreen; porting the original remakes of the original Pokemon region to coincide with the anniversary is good timing. Plus, if they sell well, maybe one day fans will finally be able to play it Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver without going into debt. Either way, it looks like Nintendo and the Pokemon Company are only scratching the surface when it comes to festive content.
While we wait for the winds and waves, Pokemon Champions will serve as this year's “big title”
One thing we can predict for 2026 and probably 2027 is support Pokemon Champions will be a top priority for The Pokemon Company. It was confirmed that the official Pokemon will use the tournament Champions Instead of the latest release of the main series, the series' huge competitive scene will finally have a game tailored just for them, making minmaxing easier than ever.
Although we might not get a new main series Pokemon this year's adventure Pokemon Champions is a big enough deal for competitive players and casual fans looking to join the scene that it could be just as important as a whole new main game. EV training, breeding for infusions and natures, and more created a huge barrier to entry for fans interested in playing pro in the past. The ability to tweak EVs, IVs and abilities will keep the game going for a long time.
Heading into this year and next
Even if Champions will focus on high quality in 2026 Pokemon Pokopia giving gamers hope that we might be in for another big-budget console Pokemon spin-off soon. There are only 5 spin-offs between Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 Pokemon games that aren't also ports of freemium mobile titles – 4 if you discount Pokken Tournament DXwhich was a Wii U port of a game that was itself a port of an arcade game, and 3 if you discount Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DXwhich was a remake of the original Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue rescue team.
DLC for Popopia that would be great news, but it's been over 10 years Pokemon Mystery Dungeon got a brand new record. Poor Pokémon Ranger not seen since 2010, though the Switch 2 Joy-Cons' mouse controls would work well with the series' core gameplay. Even if they don't come out this year, the mere announcement of new titles in the long-dormant spin-off series would satisfy so many.
This time, Pokemon's nostalgic lure is welcome
People can criticize Pokemon sometimes they depend too much on nostalgia, and that's fair. But his 30th year is the perfect excuse to lean on the idea of pandering. Bringing back dormant but beloved titles, whether main or spin-off, would probably have more of an impact than announcing new main games that we always knew were coming anyway.
So even though I'm tired of the nostalgia, I'd be willing to embrace it this year or even 2027 if The Pokemon Company takes full advantage of it. People don't just miss Kanto – we miss Johto, we miss Hoenn, we miss Sinnoh, and we miss the rest of the old regions (we even miss the side regions like Ransei and Almia). Cashing in on all this love would mean PokemonIt's a 30th anniversary to remember, and let's hope that's exactly what happens.
