After releasing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet as well as Pokemon Legends: Arceus in 2022, Pokemon's current year has been considerably more subdued. Detective Pikachu Returns is the year’s major new Pokemon game release, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are scheduled to receive both parts of their Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC by the holiday season. Some other things like the Pokemon HOME’s Generation 9 integration and the long-awaited launch of Pokemon Sleep are also part of 2023, but on the whole, it seems it won't be a particularly memorable year for Pokemon.
2024 is a different matter entirely. The future is a fairly large question mark for both Pokemon and Nintendo as a whole, with rumors of a Nintendo Switch successor still swirling about. It could be a great chance for Pokemon to redeem itself as many of its Switch entries have suffered from technical issues that might be smoothed out on stronger hardware. That's not to say that Pokemon's next mainline entries will be ready in 2024 or that the franchise will soon go all-in on a new console, but judging by previous Pokemon release schedules, it could still be a big year for fans.
Multiple Mainline Pokemon Games Could Land In 2024
There have only ever been three or four years in between each Pokemon generation, and 2024 marks the approximate halfway point between where the franchise tends to deploy a remake. Having become part of Pokemon’s rotation since Generation 3’s FireRed and LeafGreen, these remakes have taken on some unexpected forms in recent years with Pokemon Let's Go! and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
This has left fans concerned over whether the Pokemon Generation 5 remakes will be handled in the same underwhelming fashion that BDSP were, but they could be handled like past remakes or be replaced by Pokemon Let's Go! versions of Generation 2’s games. Speaking of titles set in Johto, 2024 may also have room for the next Pokemon Legends entry.
It's not clear yet if Game Freak intends to make a series out of Legends, but after visiting Generation 4’s past through Legends: Arceus, time traveling with Celebi may be next. Even if that doesn't pan out either, the least Pokemon fans can expect for 2024 is the rumored visual upgrades for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet said to coincide with a new Switch model. If that model is a Switch 2, there's a chance that those games, and other Switch Pokemon entries, could receive remastered releases on the new console.
Pokemon Spin-Offs Are Sure To Accompany 2024
That's it for Game Freak’s output, but there are plenty of other studios that likely have Pokemon spin-offs in the works. Again judging by release schedules, at least one high-profile Pokemon spin-off should appear during 2024. There are no hints at what this could be, but aside from something completely new, several suspects spring to mind. Spike Chunsoft might be ready to release its next Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game, which many hope to be a remake of the fan-favorite Explorers of Sky.
With Rescue Team DX's framework already done, that title could have been finished between 2020 and 2024, but a couple of other common spin-off categories could also see entries in the upcoming year. It's been three years since Pokemon Cafe was released and about two since it was updated to Cafe ReMix, so now is a good time to announce another small Pokemon diversion.
Of greater note is the Pokemon Company’s close relationship with Bandai Namco in recent years, putting out titles like the Pokken Tournament series and 2021’s New Pokemon Snap. While selling less than Game Freak Pokemon titles, these have all gathered small but dedicated fanbases. Bandai Namco may have something else ready for the Pokemon franchise, and 2024 should ensure it doesn’t launch alone.
