Detective Pikachu Returns, the long-awaited follow-up to 2018's Detective Pikachu, is set to release later this year. Rumors of a Pokemon spin-off announcement appear to have had some substance. Known leaker Pyoro sparked discussions online by teasing followers with a GIF of the coffee-loving Detective Pikachu as the anticipation for the June Nintendo Direct came to a head.
The June Nintendo Direct's main purpose was to deliver news about the upcoming Pikmin 4 and other games that will be arriving on the Switch platform through the course of this year. Several games were discussed and revealed, including the sequel to Detective Pikachu, hitherto known as Detective Pikachu 2 after it was announced to be in development some time ago. An indication that it was nearing the end of development came in the form of a Creatures Inc employee's LinkedIn profile that stated as much.
Nintendo has announced that Detective Pikachu Returns will be launching on October 6, 2023. The narrative-driven adventure game will follow the gruff-voiced Detective Pikachu and his partner Tim Goodman as they solve mysterious occurrences in Ryme City, a utopian society where Pokemon and humans live together harmoniously. While the announcement video is thin on story details, it is likely that more information will be forthcoming as the October release date approaches. The reveal trailer mostly serves to re-introduce the mystery-solving Pikachu, his partner Tim, and the seemingly idyllic Ryme City. Mewtwo makes an appearance towards the end of the trailer, and will possibly have a major role in the story, but this is pure speculation.
Some fans might hear this news and start wondering whether the Detective Pikachu movie will be getting a sequel; allegedly there is one in the works, but as of writing there has been no official announcement. The original Detective Pikachu movie was mostly well-received by both critics and fans, earning itself a 68% and 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes respectively. The Detective Pikachu movie was released in 2019, the year after the game was released, but fans shouldn't hold their breath for history to repeat itself when it comes to the potential movie sequel.
With this announcement, Detective Pikachu fans no longer have to rely on things like job listings and LinkedIn profiles for information about the upcoming sequel to the 2018 3DS title. With only a few months until the game releases, it is likely that fans can expect new information relatively soon.
Detective Pikachu Returns releases on Nintendo Switch on October 6, 2023.
