Next year marks the 25th anniversary of Pokemon, arguably one of the most beloved video game franchises to ever exist. Just like the Super Mario 35th anniversary celebration going on , it’s safe to say players can expect some big things from the franchise throughout 2021.
With rumors pointing toward expansions for Pokemon Sword and Shield, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes, and multiple collections of older games for the Nintendo Switch. Here’s a look at all of the biggest Pokemon 25th-anniversary rumors for new game releases.
Pokemon Sword and Shield marks the first time in series history that developer Game Freak made the decision to scrap the release of a third game and instead support the games with post-launch DLC expansions, offering new story content, new and returning Pokemon, new in-game activities, and more. Game Freak and The Pokemon Company have only announced two expansions: the Isle of Armor, which released back in June, and the Crown Tundra, which is due to release sometime before the end of 2020.
But if rumors are to be believed, there’s at least one more DLC pack on the way called The Cinder Citadel which is said to be adding an all-new Wild Area, a brand new region, the entire Unown catalogue, and Mega Evolutions. Nintendo has previously released new DLC content past the first expansion pass for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so the idea isn’t out of the realm of possibility. However, fans should keep their expectations in check nonetheless, as this would be the most ambitious DLC add-on for the games thus far.
It’s been rumored that Game Freak and The Pokemon Company would remake Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, the fourth generation of Pokemon games that debuted on the Nintendo DS back in 2006, for quite a few years. The first generation was remade in 2004 in the form of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, followed by Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver five years later in 2009, and finally, Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in 2013.
According to a series of rumors, Pokemon Max Diamond and Max Pearl are set to release worldwide in November 2021, bringing the region of Sinnoh to Nintendo Switch and will see the return of Dynamaxing from Pokemon Sword and Shield. Of all the Pokemon 25th anniversary rumors, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes are the most likely to be based in reality given the history of the series.
Prior to the release of Pokemon Sword and Shield, Game Freak producer and director Junichi Masuda stated the team had no plans for a Pokemon Let’s Go sequel, at least at that point in time. Fast forward to the Pokemon Presents presentation back in June, and players were convinced a Pokemon Let’s Go Johto announcement was coming, only for it to end up being the reveal for Pokemon Unite, a Pokemon MOBA made in conjunction with Tencent.
Given the success of Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, many fans are still convinced that a sequel is coming for the second generation, and it would be a good idea to fill time in the wait for Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes of Generation 9.
Perhaps the most farfetched rumor so far, The Pokemon Company has plans to release multiple remastered collections of old games throughout 2021 to celebrate Pokemon’s 25th anniversary. Starting with Kanto, the original games from the first generation will be ported in a single collection to Nintendo Switch, followed by collections for Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and so on.
On the same note, there’s an entirely separate rumor for Pokemon Super Collection, which will instead bring remastered versions of Pokemon X and Y, Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Pokemon Sun and Moon, Pokemon Black and White, and Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, to Nintendo Switch in March 2021. Similar to Super Mario 3D All-Stars, the collections are made up of ports rather than remasters or remakes, hence the emphasis players may be disappointed with the announcement.
The final rumor came about late last week when Nintendo renewed its trademark for Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the 2009 Nintendo DS remakes of second-generation games, Pokemon Gold and Silver. The action led some players to believe that Nintendo could be looking to bring the games forward to Nintendo Switch; however, given Pokemon HeartGold and Soulsilver were released over ten years, this could be nothing more than a simple routine update.
If Game Freak and The Pokemon Company was looking to do something with the second generation of games, it’s more likely to be Pokemon Let’s Go Johto sequel or straight ports of the original games.
Absolutely none of these rumors have been commented on by either The Pokemon Company or Nintendo, so, for now, it’s best to take it all with a grain of salt. A couple of the mentioned games are entirely plausible given the current Pokemon timeline, such as Let’s Go Johto (after the success of Pokemon Let’s Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee) or remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl (following Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in 2014).
With that being said, the majority of rumors are purely based on fan speculation from common trends in the series and there’s little to no evidence to back them up right now. The Pokemon Company will go big for its 25th anniversary, so whatever games arrive in 2021, hopefully, they’re a little more fleshed out than Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are available now on Nintendo Switch.
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