Tag: The Pokémon Company

The Pokémon Company announced that its first permanent outdoor Pokémon-themed facility, "PokéPark KANTO," will officially open on February 5, 2026. A new promotional video was released, revealing the park map, facilities, exclusive merchandise, and ticket sales information. "PokéPark KANTO" is located within Yomiuriland in Tokyo, Japan, nestled in the natural environment of the Tama Hills. The company claims that over 600 Pokémon will reside in the forest and town. Park Guide: Entrance Plaza, Pokémon Forest, and Kussa Town. According to the released park map, PokéPark KANTO is mainly divided into three areas: • Entrance Plaza: Upon entering the plaza, Trainers will immediately see Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, and more...

The Pokémon Company announced that its first permanent Pokémon-themed attraction, PokéPark KANTO, is scheduled to open in Spring 2026. Located in Yomiuriland, near Tokyo, the 2.6-hectare facility is about a 40-minute drive from central Tokyo and will offer Pokémon fans worldwide an unprecedented immersive experience. The Company stated that tickets for PokéPark KANTO are expected to go on sale in Autumn 2025, at which time more detailed ticketing information, prices, and entry procedures will be announced, along with a general visitor information desk providing comprehensive park guidance. Designed with a dual-zone layout of forest and city, over 600 Pokémon await trainers' exploration. PokéPark KANTO aims to bring the Pokémon world to life, dividing the park into two main themed areas: "Pokémon Forest" and "Kusa Town." Trainers will encounter over 600 Pokémon and embark on an adventure full of surprises and interactions. "Pokémon Forest" is a lush, diverse natural area with a 500-meter-long trail winding through the forest, incorporating elements such as grass, mountain paths, and tunnels. The forest is home to a variety of Pokémon from the Kanto region, from giant creatures to tiny figures hidden among the vegetation, encouraging visitors to use their observation skills to discover surprises. "Kusa Town," on the other hand, creates a lively market and social space within the Pokémon world. Trainers can visit the Pokémon Center, the Friends Shop, the Trainer Market, and other facilities to purchase merchandise or participate in gym challenges. The town also features two amusement rides and a Pokémon welcome parade, along with a Primarina fountain symbolizing welcome, creating a fantastical atmosphere reminiscent of the anime for both children and adults. The park is still under construction, and further information will be released through the official website. Currently, PokéPark Kanto is still in the active development phase. The Pokémon Company stated that more details about the facilities, park rules, and ticketing methods will be announced on the official website in the future, and reminded that the park's content may be adjusted according to the development progress. For Pokémon fans, this facility is not only a theme park but also has the potential to become a new pilgrimage site, representing a new attempt by the Pokémon brand to further develop entertainment experiences. Whether it will expand to more areas, incorporate interactive technology, or further integrate with the game series in the future remains to be seen. More information can be found on the official PokéPark Kanto website: https://www.pokepark-kanto.co.jp/zh_TW/

Following its previous collaborations with Nintendo on Super Mario sets and the announcement of a Game Boy-themed set to be released this October, LEGO has once again announced a collaboration with Nintendo's Pokémon Company, with a planned Pokémon-themed set to be released in 2026. However, neither LEGO nor The Pokémon Company has yet revealed details of the collaboration, so it's unclear whether it will feature specific Pokémon characters or be interactive like the Super Mario sets. But it's expected that Pikachu and other characters will appear in this collaboration. Besides Nintendo, the company has previously partnered with numerous video games to release themed sets, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Overwatch, Fortnite, and Minecraft.

The highly anticipated Pokémon series title, *Pokémon Legends: ZA*, announced last February, has been confirmed by The Pokémon Company for release this fall. Players will embark on an unknown adventure in Lumiose City. The company also announced *Pokémon Champions*, a new Pokémon battle game offering a unique experience, and a new themed expansion pack, "Super Power," for the smartphone Pokémon trading card game *Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket*, will be released on February 28th. *Pokémon Legends: ZA* is set in Lumiose City, a city undergoing urban redevelopment aimed at creating a harmonious coexistence between humans and Pokémon. Compared to the Lumiose City featured in *Pokémon X* and *Pokémon Y* released in 2013, this city boasts more vegetation and cutting-edge technology. The protagonist, traveling to Lumiose City, will stay at an old inn called "Room Z" and use it as a base to tackle various events and incidents in the city with the companions they meet. In Lumiose City, where the large corporation Quassing is driving urban redevelopment, there exists a "Wild Zone" created to allow Pokémon to coexist. Wild Pokémon inhabit this technologically advanced area, where players can battle them or catch them by throwing Poké Balls. Battles in *Pokémon Legends ZA* will differ from the previous Pokémon series' one-turn-per-action system. Pokémon will move with their trainer and use moves according to the trainer's instructions. In addition to type advantages and disadvantages, new gameplay elements such as the timing of switching Pokémon and choosing moves, move range, and move speed have been added, offering an unprecedented level of Pokémon battle enjoyment. Furthermore, in Lumiose City, one can frequently witness evolution beyond evolution—"Mega Evolution"—and mastering the use of Mega Evolution may well be the key to victory. Pokémon Champions, also announced at the same time, allows players to enjoy Pokémon battles just like in previous Pokémon games. The fun of strategically utilizing Pokémon's types, abilities, and move options to achieve victory remains undiminished, and cross-platform battles can be enjoyed on Nintendo Switch and smartphones. In addition, in Pokémon Champions, players can compete against trainers worldwide in "Ranked Battles," where their level changes based on wins and losses, or in the more relaxed "Free Battles," or even play with family and friends in "Private Battles." Pokémon Champions is also confirmed to be compatible with Nintendo Switch...

Bloomberg News, citing sources, reports that Pokémon Go, a game developed by Niantic in partnership with The Pokémon Company, appears to be in talks for sale. The potential buyer is Scopely, a US-based interactive entertainment company and mobile-first game developer and publisher owned by Savvy Games Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). The deal is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, with a price tag of approximately $35 billion. The agreement reportedly includes other mobile games besides Pokémon Go, but specific details are yet to be confirmed. Neither Niantic nor Scopely has responded to the rumors. Pokémon Go, a mobile game launched in 2016 by Niantic in collaboration with The Pokémon Company, primarily combines Niantic's existing geographic system with Google Maps data, along with satellite positioning and augmented reality interactive mechanics. It integrates Pokémon characters and the "catch Pokémon" experience of throwing Poké Balls, quickly attracting a large player base and creating a buzz worldwide. While Pokémon Go remains Niantic's highest-grossing game to this day, and despite continued efforts to maintain its popularity through large-scale player events and updates, it has consistently struggled to replicate the success of Pokémon Go in the future. For example, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, which was developed in collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in 2019, failed to attract sustained player support and was therefore removed from all platforms in December 2021 and ceased operations in 2022. Subsequently, after laying off 8% of its staff, it terminated the development of several other games. While games such as Peridot, Monster Hunter Now, and Pikmin Bloom, which were released afterward, still attracted a number of players, they did not generate the same level of popularity as Pokémon Go.

The Pokémon Company and stop-motion animation studio Aardman have announced a joint "special project," though details were not disclosed. Aardman is expected to use its unique narrative style to interpret the Pokémon universe's storylines. Currently, it's only confirmed that the collaboration will be announced in 2027, with more details expected to be released soon. Aardman is known for its stop-motion, claymation, and computer animation works, including titles such as *Chicken Run*, the *Shaun the Sheep* series, the *Wallace & Gromit* series, *Flushed Away*, and *The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists*. With extensive experience in animation production, their collaboration with The Pokémon Company is expected to inspire even more creative works. Prior to this, The Pokémon Company had also collaborated with Netflix to create the stop-motion animated series "Pokémon Concierge," which premiered on Netflix on December 28th last year. Production on the second season is currently underway, with a release expected before 2027. This collaboration with Aardman may reflect their recognition of the potential of stop-motion animation to attract viewers.

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocket Pair, the developer of Palworld, alleging patent infringement. Palworld is an action-adventure survival game where players collect various magical creatures called Pallu and use them for work and battles. After its release in January, it attracted over 25 million players within just one month. In July, Pocket Pair partnered with Sony Music Entertainment and Aniplex to establish Palworld Entertainment, preparing for the game's accelerated global expansion. While many of the Palo's designs in *Pokémon Palo* have been accused of resembling certain Pokémon characters, Pocket Pair CEO Takuro Mizobe emphasized that Pokémon was not their source of inspiration. He stated that the game's concepts were largely based on the dinosaur companions from *Ark: Survival Evolved*, with more design ideas originating from the *Dragon Quest* series. The survival mechanics and in-game quests were inspired by *Rust*. However, The Pokémon Company issued a statement on January 24th of this year, indicating that they would investigate the alleged plagiarism in *Pokémon Palo*, stating that the game did not have authorization from Pokémon and emphasizing that they would take appropriate legal action against the infringing content based on the investigation. In its formal response to Pocket Pair, Nintendo stated that it will protect its long-established intellectual property rights and will continue to take necessary measures against any infringement.

In February, a collaboration with Creatures and DeNA was announced to create a new mobile card game, *Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket*. The Pokémon Company has recently confirmed that the game will officially launch on iOS and Android platforms on October 30th. In *Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket*, players will be able to easily collect Pokémon cards popular worldwide, with visuals presented digitally by Creatures, the developers of the Pokémon card game. The game is expected to launch on iOS and Android platforms in 2024. Players can open two free card expansion packs daily, including cards with nostalgic illustrations and exclusive new cards. Some cards will be available for purchase. The game supports Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, and Traditional Chinese. Pre-registration is currently open, and a new game trailer has also been released.

The Pokémon Company has announced a collaboration with Creatures and DeNA to create a new mobile card game, *Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket*. They also announced that the next installment in the Pokémon series, *Pokémon Legends ZA*, will be released on the Nintendo Switch in 2025, with a simultaneous global release. In *Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket*, players will be able to easily collect popular Pokémon cards from around the world, with visuals presented digitally by Creatures, the developers of the Pokémon card game. The game is expected to launch on iOS and Android platforms in 2024. Players can open two free card expansion packs daily, including cards with nostalgic illustrations and exclusive new cards. Some cards will be available for purchase. The game supports Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, and Traditional Chinese. In addition, The Pokémon Company also announced a new title, Pokémon Legends ZA, developed by GAME FREAK. Players will be able to embark on an adventure in Lumiose City, where Pokémon coexist and drive urban redevelopment. The game is scheduled for a simultaneous global release in 2025, and is expected to launch on the Nintendo Switch platform in 2025.

In addition to the recently opened Pokémon Center TAIPEI in Taipei, the 18th Pokémon Center worldwide, designed with Taiwan's abundant natural environment in mind, The Pokémon Company announced the construction of a new "PokéPark KANTO" theme park at Yomiuri Land in the Tama Hills of Japan's Kanto region. The theme park's name comes from the first Pokémon game, Pokémon Red and Green, released in 1996 for the Nintendo Game Boy, and is named after the game's setting, Kanto. According to the explanation, The Pokémon Company hopes that the natural environment of the Tama Hills will allow Pokémon fans of all ages around the world to experience a space that transcends national, regional, and linguistic barriers and shares the fun. This theme park is a collaboration between The Pokémon Company, Yomiuri Land, and the Yomiuri Shimbun. It operates within a portion of the Yomiuri Land park and has established a contract company, "PokéPark KANTO LLC," to handle related operations. The Pokémon Company has not yet announced the official opening date for "PokéPark KANTO," but it is expected to be announced later.