Pokémon games 2026: All rumored releases for the 30th anniversary

The popular Japanese franchise, Pokémon, is gearing up to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026. While we do know that they will be doing a collaboration with McDonalds, there are also quite a few other rumors regarding video games within the franchise, which will be announced at the end of February (more than likely) on Pokémon Day (February 27).

Here are all confirmed and rumored Pokémon game releases for 2026 as apart of the franchise’s 30th anniversary.

At the moment, there is only one Pokémon game confirmed for 2026 ahead of the franchise’s 30th anniversary: Pokopia. Pokémon Pokopia is a sandbox game, similar to Minecraft and Animal Crossing, where players can create and craft their very own world filled with Pokémon and more.

This is a brand new style of game for the franchise, which has been incredibly exciting for some. It is set to release on March 5, 2026, and will only be available on the Nintendo Switch 2 (sorry, Switch users). However, many are not so excited, as quite a few players are wanting an actual new Pokémon game that resembles past games in the franchise.

While there will most certainly be updates to Pokémon TCG Pocket, the McDonald’s collaboration and more, Pokémon Pokopia is the only confirmed game we have for the franchise.

Now, the big question: What Pokémon games are rumored to release in 2026? With the release of the Switch 2 happening back in June, many are awaiting Nintendo to announce a new Pokémon game to be exclusive to the system.

In October, we saw the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which while being quite underwhelming, it still gave us a look at what the Switch 2 can do with the franchise, and even gave us a brand new battle style. However, the game was also released for the first Switch, and did not necessarily mark a new era for Pokémon regarding the newest Nintendo console.

So, what Pokémon games are rumored to come to the Switch 2 in 2026?

The biggest rumor is a brand new Gen 10 game. After Violet and Scarlet’s failure, many are expecting Nintendo to overdo themselves with Gen 10. While Gen 9 was not a terrible game, it seemed to have quite a bit of trouble running on the Switch. With the Switch 2’s capability, we could see Gen 10 provide us with a much smoother gaming experience.

The question is, is three years enough time for Pokémon to create a brand new generation that will run seamlessly on their new console? And will it adapt a similar play style to Legends: Z-A? While there is not enough information on the topic, many are expecting a brand new generation to be announced for the Switch 2 this February, even if it is for 2027 and not 2026.

However, the question of whether or not there will be a new Legends game is pretty much answered, as Nintendo usually takes a few years to release big games as such, meaning we will probably not see another Legends game until 2028.

The other big rumor is that we will be getting a remake of a popular Pokémon game from the past in 2026. So, which will it be? Our last remake was back in 2022 (Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl) and gave us a nostalgic look at Gen 4.

While this remake stayed pretty true to the original, we have had remakes in the past, such as Let’s Go Eevee and Let’s Go Pikachu, that gave us a brand new look and play style of an older game.

So, will Pokémon give us another remake in 2026? It is a possibility. If they go in order from past remakes, then technically Black and White are up next. Now, Pokémon’s timeline of remakes remains a mystery, as a Gen 4 remake released back in 2022 and a Gen 3 remake releasing back in 2014, eight years before.

So, is 2026 too soon for another remake? Well, in that eight years, they also release Let’s Go Eevee and Let’s Go Pikachu, alongside a remake of the original Mystery Dungeon game.

We could easily see a new type of remake, which would be quite exciting. However, many players are hoping for a Black and White remake, as the two games from the DS era were highly reviewed by many.

There are quite a few questions for the future of Pokémon, and alongside these questions are very few answers. What are you hoping to see released on the Switch 2 for Pokémon in 2026?

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