Pokémon video ‘leak’ seemingly reveals open-world game coming to Switch in 2022
UPDATE: Pokémon Legends: Arceus announced alongside remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Apparent leaks shortly before Friday’s Pokémon presentation may have revealed plans for a new open-world game as well as anticipated Diamond and Pearl remakes for Nintendo Switch.
A video presentation focused on Pokémon games is scheduled to air on Friday, February 26 at 3pm UK (7am PT/10am ET).
It has previously been claimed that The Pokémon Company will reveal new games to tie in with the series’ 25th anniversary on February 27, including remakes of Nintendo DS titles Diamond and Pearl.
UPDATE: The Pokémon Company has officially announced Game Freak‘s open-world Pokémon Legends: Arceus for release in 2022, and remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl for release in 2021.
ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES: Those claims have been echoed by more sources on Friday, including Reddit user PracticalBrush12, who earlier this month accurately leaked a partial list of titles set to be featured in a Nintendo Direct presentation.
It’s claimed that the Switch remakes will be titled Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. They reportedly feature a chibi 3D art style and battles are the same as in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
The games are said to be developed by ILCA rather than Game Freak, which is making another Pokémon title also reportedly due to be revealed on Friday. Scheduled for release in 2022, it will be an open-world game set in feudal Sinnoh with a story focused on Arceus.
Footage of the game seemingly due to be aired during Friday’s presentation has also found its way online.
https://twitter.com/KeliosFR/status/1365265226153816064?s=20
While it’s unclear if the leaks are the authentic, we won’t have to wait long to find out.
Last November, The Pokémon Company began teasing plans for a “very special upcoming celebration of Pokémon’s 25th anniversary in 2021”.
New Pokémon Snap, the Switch sequel to the classic N64 game, will be released on April 30, Nintendo announced last month.
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