Highlights

  • Pokemon Scarlet and Violet enter online support stage with Mochi Mayhem Epilogue, offering a last adventure with Gen 9 characters and the chance to catch a new Mythical critter called Pecharunt.
  • Rumors and leaks hint at future Pokemon games in 2024, possibly featuring Pokemon Johto and Unova regions, while Gen 10 games are expected in 2025, although The Pokemon Company may break the three-year development cycle.
  • The Pokemon Company could skip a big 2025 release to focus on polishing Gen 10 games for the franchise's 30-year anniversary in 2026, potentially changing the tradition of releasing new mainline games every three years.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet may have entered its online support stage as of today's release of the Mochi Mayhem Epilogue, which allows Pokemon players to go on a last adventure with all the main characters in Gen 9 and also catch a new Mythical critter called Pecharunt. This event marks the beginning of uncharted territory for what happens in the franchise next, with only rumors and leaks possibly revealing what The Pokemon Company is keeping under wraps. Still, there are likely new Pokemon games to be announced in 2024, probably on Pokemon Day, and then next year things are expected to run their course, with TPCi unveiling Gen 10 games - but the company has a chance to break a massive tradition in 2025.

While Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in 2024 are most likely getting new events, such as special Tera Raid bosses or Mass Outbreaks, possibly akin to the recent ones featuring Dragon-type Pokemon for the holidays, the epilogue does seem like the end of the line for Gen 9. TPCi could reveal both Pokemon Johto and Unova games next, and they would likely take the internet by storm now after all the rumors, possibly becoming the new main project for a little bit. Right now, all eyes are on 2025, when Gen 10 could be announced and released following the company's typical pattern, but The Pokemon Company could decide to wait a little longer and break the traditional three-year development cycle.

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Why Pokemon Gen 10 Might Not Come Next Year

Every Mainline Pokemon Game Released So Far

Pokemon games didn't necessarily always follow the same pattern over the almost 28 years the series began, but there are consistencies across the board that are hard to ignore for mainline games. These are all the mainline Pokemon games and when they launched:

  • Pokemon Red and Blue - September 28, 1998
  • Pokemon Gold and Silver - October 15, 2000
  • Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire - March 19, 2003
  • Pokemon Diamond and Pearl - April 22, 2007
  • Pokemon Black and White - March 6, 2011
  • Pokemon X and Y - October 12, 2013
  • Pokemon Sun and Moon - November 18, 2016
  • Pokemon Sword and Shield - November 15, 2019
  • Pokemon Scarlet and Violet - November 18, 2022

This list doesn't take into account third-version games as well as spin-offs, and the release dates are referred to the United States' own, rather than the original Japanese launch windows. It also doesn't consider Pokemon Red and Green's 1996 Japan-only release, despite it being the true start of the series.

Pokemon's 3-Year Release Pattern Explained

There is a clear pattern of Pokemon games releasing every 3 years or so, sometimes needing more time in the oven and launching a new title after 4 years, instead. This became particularly apparent since Gen 6, which was when every game would finally launch worldwide at the same time. Then, the series began to consistently launch a new title every three years, but this pattern has its costs.

Why Pokemon Might Skip a Big 2025 Release

Namely, in the case of Gen 9, many players were critical of the new games because Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's performance and technical issues could made them near-impossible to run smoothly. Ever since then, there have been talks about the developmental process and how it takes a toll on the quality of new games, and the idea has been floated that Gen 10 should take more time to be extra polished.

This might be exactly what The Pokemon Company ends up doing, skipping 2025 entirely for new mainline games, and only focusing on spin-offs or remakes. The reason why it would make all the more sense to break the traditional three-year development cycle is that 2026 will be the 30-year anniversary of the franchise, and launching Pokemon Gen 10 games alongside that milestone could be huge for TPCi. As such, while it seems like a tradition that's set in stone now, things could change, and next year there may be no new Pokemon games in the mainline series.