Private Division signs a new action-adventure IP from Pokémon studio Game Freak

Codenamed Project Bloom, the game is expected to be released by March 2026

Take-Two publishing label Private Division has signed a new action-adventure IP from Game Freak.

Codenamed Project Bloom, the title is expected to be released during Take-Two’s fiscal year 2026, which ends in March 2026.

The first piece of concept art for the game, which is in early development, is viewable above.

Founded in 1989, Japanese studio Game Freak is best known as the creator of over 30 entries in the Pokémon franchise.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to create new IP that is bold and tonally different from our prior work,” said Game Freak director Kota Furushima.

“From the beginning, Private Division was the publisher we wanted to work with on our new game. Their track record and global expertise give us all the confidence to create a sweeping new action-adventure game that we can’t wait to share more about in the future.”

“We’re ready to help Game Freak unleash their potential and we’re honored to be the first Western publisher to work alongside this exceptionally talented and proven team to bring a bold new IP to market,” said Private Division head and Take-Two chief strategy officer Michael Worosz.

A decade ago, Game Freak set up an internal initiative called Gear Project, in which developers could pitch original game ideas during quieter periods when Pokémon development isn’t as intense.

Although the studio is best known for the Pokémon series, it has released a number of smaller, unrelated games in the past such as HarmoKnight, Tembo the Badass Elephant and Giga Wrecker.

“It is very important to Game Freak to keep taking on the challenge of creating original games,” Masafumi Saito, the general manager of Game Freak’s Development Department 1, told VGC in a recent interview.

“I think that creating a game from scratch, putting it out there, and getting a good reception is a great motivator for creators and is also very significant in terms of its meaning for the growth of the company.

“With that said, we do not think in terms of limiting original games to small-scale projects. It has been ten years since we established a department that deals with original games.

“Initially, team members did the same thing while also developing Pokémon, so it was hard to concentrate on developing original games. Now we work with external companies so that we can start experimenting with moving on projects on a similar scale simultaneously.

“We want new titles to come out of Gear Project that are beloved by lots of people across the world, like the Pokémon series has been.”