2021 has been an exciting year for Pokemon fans, with titles like Pokemon Unite and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl both releasing to much excitement. However, one of the things many fans are looking forward to isn't coming until 2022. Pokemon Legends: Arceus seems to be shaking up the traditional Pokemon formula in a way that the community has been asking for ever since the franchise's debut on the Nintendo Switch. While it looks like plenty of good is going to come out of that, one classic Pokemon community staple might be taking a hit: the hardcore Nuzlocke challenge runs.
For those unaware, Nuzlocke challenge runs are a way of playing Pokemon titles using optional rule sets that make the games a lot harder. For example, most challenges don't allow players to use items during battle, and if a Pokemon is knocked unconscious, it "dies" and isn't able to be used from that point onward. Because of how different Pokemon Legends: Arceus looks to be from the rest of the mainline Pokemon entries, though, it might suggest that some big changes are coming in the future of the Nuzlocke run.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Changes to the Pokemon Formula
Because the overall structure to each Pokemon game has largely stayed the same since the inception of the franchise, Nuzlocke rules have also been able to stay the same. However, with Pokemon Legends: Arceus changing a lot of things, it could cause some issues for the hardcore ruleset. For starters, a Nuzlocke run is completed once the player has collected all the gym badges and beaten the Elite Four. Based on the limited footage shown of Legends: Arceus, the game hasn't showcased a single battle against another trainer, which is essentially the entire Nuzlocke experience. Additionally, the game's goal for the protagonist is to make the first-ever PokeDex, not to become a Pokemon master by beating the Elite Four.
There's likely more to the game that hasn't been revealed yet, but, at face value, it seems like Nuzlocke just won't work with what Legends Arceus is doing with the franchise. Based on the way that The Pokemon Company has been marketing the game, it seems like this is the direction that the series is headed for the next mainline entries. This would be pretty problematic for Nuzlocke runs in the future, as they'd only be available for older titles unless the community creates a new hardcore ruleset for the franchise.
Reworking the Pokemon Nuzlocke Rules
If it turns out to be true that the Pokemon series is going in the Legends: Arceus direction from here on out, then Nuzlock will need to change. There are a lot of different ways that it could be adapted to fit the new formula, but there's just no way to know what sort of adjustments hardcore runs will need to make until the new game releases. Because of how different Pokemon Legends: Arceus looks compared to every other mainline game in the series, it's likely that an entirely new ruleset with a new name might emerge from the community. That is likely to take time, however, as balancing new rules for the new mechanics can't just be done overnight. Either way, Nuzlocke will still be around for older titles, and if the Pokemon company is going to continue remaking older titles in the same traditional format, then traditional Nuzlocke runs will be able to stay alive and well.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is set to release on January 28 for Nintendo Switch.
