A new Pokémon game is in the works at Game Freak, signaling a possible franchise shift.
Longtime Pokémon developer Game Freak announced it would be hiring for a new Pokémon game in mid-May. The company included a variety of open positions in a tweet implying expanded work on the Pókemon series.
Game Freak is now scheduling interviews for those positions, according to Nintendo Wire. Further, the company tweeted that the positions would be for work on a new Pokémon series.
When Digital Trends reached out to The Pokémon Company, a spokesperson said it has “no comment or details to share on this topic.”
Game Freak is still finishing up content on Pokémon Sword & Shield. The 2019 Pokémon entries’ The Isle of Armor DLC recently launched, featuring a new host of environments and additional Pokémon. Another expansion, The Crown of Tundra, will release later this year.
This all comes on the coattails of The Pokémon Company’s latest Pokémon Presents broadcast. The broadcast featured multiple announcements, including a new Pokémon Snap for Nintendo Switch. It is a follow-up to the 1999 original on the Nintendo 64 in which players take pictures of Pokémon as they travel on rails across an island. It was a well-received spinoff that amassed a cult following and was popular enough to warrant a follow-up on the Switch.
While the new Pokémon Snap was the presentation’s highlight, The Pokémon Company also announced two new Pokémon apps. First, the company announced Pokémon Smile, an app that helps children thoroughly brush their teeth. The app is currently available for download on mobile devices. Second, The Pokémon Company announced Pokémon Cafe Mix. This free-to-play title is a puzzle game releasing on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices on June 23.
As for Game Freak’s next Pokémon project, this is anyone’s guess. While Game Freak has been the developer in charge of the Pokémon series’ core entries, the developer has also worked on series spinoffs like Pokémon Quest for Switch and mobile devices. Game Freak also recently released Little Town Hero, a game that has nothing to do with Pokémon.
The coming Pokémon series could go in any direction. Whether it sticks to the turn-based formula or switches genres entirely, Pokémon fans may be in for a refreshing direction.
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