While Pokémon franchise won't be getting a new mainline game to coincide with its 30th anniversary this year, that doesn't mean the series is standing still while the milestone passes. While the fans wait Pokemon winds and WAVES released in 2027, Pokémon has started 2026 strong. The Pokemon Company was re-released Pokemon FireRed and Leaf green (the first mainline reissue since 2017), set the cult classic Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness on Nintendo Switch Online (although that version has had some major issues), saw their highest-rated release ever Pokemon Pokopiaand the long-awaited official battle simulator Pokemon champion coming to Nintendo Switch and mobile phones on April 8. In addition to the video games, Pokémon also opened its own theme park in Japan on February 5: PokePark Kanto.
Then Pokémon won't be putting out a new main title this year, the companies behind it have been looking to celebrate the series in other ways, like those highlighted above. They may just be the tip of the iceberg, though, because while we don't know much about the franchise's plans after Masterthere is plenty of potential for more nostalgia-filled releases. And if that potential is realized, both 2026 and 2027 could be two of the best years to be a Pokémon fan for a long time.
These are the 6 Pokemon that FireRed and LeafGreen players will want to transfer to Champions
With the Switch versions of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen confirmed to be compatible with Pokemon Champions, there's 6 months worth of porting.
Pokemon's potential retro plans
The big question is what else The Pokémon Company has in store after this spring. For a milestone as big as 30 years, a name as big as Pokémon likely won't hold their video game plans to some spring releases and be done with it. The mobile games like Pokémon GO and Pokemon Masters EX will no doubt continue to be updated throughout the year, but perhaps there is hope for more retro Pokémon ends up beyond Fire red and Leaf green because there are no brand new games for the near future.
Although it doesn't have a date yet, XDs predecessor Pokemon Coliseum has already been confirmed to be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online GameCube library. And while the dream would be for mainline games that don't already have Switch remakes to come to the console, there's no evidence that they will.
Sure, if there were plans for it, it makes sense that they started with Fire red and Leaf green; port the original remakes of the original Pokémon region to coincide with the anniversary is good timing. Plus, if they sell well, maybe one day fans will finally be able to replay Pokemon Heart Gold and SoulSilver without going into debt. Either way, it feels like Nintendo and the Pokemon Company are only scratching the surface when it comes to celebrity content.
While we wait for the winds and waves, Pokemon Masters will serve as this year's 'big title'
One thing we can assume for 2026 and likely even 2027 is to support Pokemon champion will be a top priority for The Pokemon Company. It has been confirmed that the official Pokémon tournaments will use Master instead of the latest mainline release to come, the series' massive competitive scene will finally get a game tailored just for them, making min-maxing easier than ever.
Although we might not get a new main line Pokémon adventure this year, Pokemon champion is a big enough deal for competitive players and casual fans looking to join that scene, so much so that it might as well be as important as a brand new main game. EV training, breeding for IVs and natures and more have built a huge barrier to entry for fans who were previously curious about playing professionally. The ability to adjust EVs, IVs and abilities will ensure that the game lasts a long time.
Spinning into this year and next
Even if Master will be 2026's major focus, the high quality of Pokemon Pokopia giving gamers hope that we might see a more big-budget console Pokémon spin-offs soon. Between Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 there are only 5 spin-offs Pokémon games that aren't also ports of freemium mobile titles – 4 if you discount Pokken Tournament DXwhich was a port of a Wii U game which itself was 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 Pokopia would be good news, but it's been over 10 years Pokemon Mystery Dungeon got a brand new post. Poor Pokemon Rangers hasn't been seen since 2010, although the Switch 2 Joy-Con's mouse controller would work well with the series' core games. Even if they aren't released this year, just the announcement of new titles in long-dormant spin-off series would do so much to satisfy.
This time, Pokemon's Nostalgia Bait is welcome
People can criticize Pokémon for relying too much on nostalgia at times, and that's fair. But its 30th year is a perfect excuse to lean into the idea of profanity. Bringing back dormant but beloved titles, whether mainline or spin-off games, would arguably be more impactful than announcing the new mainline games we always knew were coming anyway.
So, as tired as I am of nostalgia baiting, I'd be willing to accept it this year or even 2027 as long as 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 spin-off regions like Ransei and Almia). Harnessing all this love would do PokémonThe 30th anniversary is one to remember, and hopefully that's exactly what happens.
