Nintendo and The Pokemon Company just released another presentation focused entirely on the Pokemon franchise, and it had something to offer fans of all kinds. Pokemon fans who like to play on the go were met with official word that Alolan Pokemon would join Pokemon GO starting in March, as well as getting a glimpse at the future of Pokemon Unite. As for console players, The Pokemon Company announced the Daybreak Update for Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which seems like it could be the first of several updates, and even more crucially, the presentation revealed Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the first installations in Pokemon's ninth generation of games.
Some fans may have noticed that a longtime Pokemon project was missing from the presentation, however: Pokemon Sleep. In 2019, fans learned about a new Pokemon mobile app called Pokemon Sleep that would supposedly convert the user's sleeping time into gameplay. Pokemon Sleep definitely sounds like a novel concept, but unfortunately, fans haven't seen or heard anything about it since it was announced. Leaks suggest that the game may still be in the works, but it's already well past its initial release target. It's time for The Pokemon Company to provide some concrete details on the future of Pokemon Sleep, whether it's bright or bleak.
Pokemon Sleep's History
Pokemon Sleep was first announced in May 2019, alongside several other peripheral Pokemon projects, including Pokemon Home and work on a second Detective Pikachu game. Few details were provided at the time, but the app would supposedly keep track of the player's sleep schedule with the help of the Pokemon GO Plus +, an upgraded form of Pokemon GO's original wrist-mounted accessory. With the help of Pokemon Sleep, players could earn rewards for sleeping in the same way that Pokemon GO encourages walking. Aside from that concept, The Pokemon Company has said little to explain the app's core mechanics.
Notably, though, Pokemon Sleep was announced with a 2020 release target in mind. The app didn't release in that year, which isn't necessarily surprising, since 2020 saw tons of video game delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic's onset, which created obstacles for industries of all kinds. Even so, The Pokemon Company hasn't revealed a new Pokemon Sleep release window since then; the game has gone entirely dormant. That silence grows increasingly frustrating as other Pokemon projects like Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Unite get announced well after Pokemon Sleep and release well before it shows its face again.
The Future of Pokemon Sleep
Thanks to a Pokemon GO datamine from the start of 2022, there's at least a bit of hope for Pokemon Sleep. Dataminers found references to a codenamed Pokemon GO accessory, which could be the Pokemon GO Plus +, as well as files that appear to reference Pokemon Sleep in their names. It's entirely possible that this data refers to some other unknown Pokemon GO project, but Pokemon Sleep still seems like a likely suspect for now. Even though Pokemon Sleep didn't make it into the recent Pokemon Presents, its developers Select Button and Niantic could be quietly winding up for a proper Pokemon Sleep reveal in a future Nintendo Direct.
Regardless of whether the Pokemon GO datamine has anything to do with Pokemon Sleep, it's high time that The Pokemon Company confirms the game's future in one way or another. It's sad to see Pokemon Sleep hang in limbo for so long while other Pokemon projects rush ahead at full steam. The Pokemon franchise may be thriving overall, but nonetheless, Pokemon Sleep's dubious status is a thorn in the side of fans. After nearly three years without another statement, the Pokemon Company needs to either release a Pokemon Sleep presentation sometime soon, or it needs to confirm that the game has been canceled. The matter of Pokemon Sleep really should've been put to rest by now.
Pokemon Sleep is in development for Android and iOS devices.