Summary
Pokemon Legends: Z-Ais one of the most anticipated games coming down the line, considering it is set to be the next mainline game in the massively popular series. Furthermore, its status as the second entry in theLegendsseries makes it seem all the more promising. However, its official release date is still somewhat vague, and may leave room for otherPokemontitles.
Pokemon Legends: Z-Ais currently the only major release scheduled for thePokemonseries.Pokemonfans are certainly fed plenty, with the series seeing nearly annual releases for the last several years. There was one major exception, which occurred around the time thatPokemon Legends: Arceuswas first released. History is repeating itself already, and there is a clear gap within the wait forLegends: Z-A.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Release Window Leaves Plenty of Room for Spin-Offs
The Power Vacuum Before Pokemon Legends: Z-A
To say thatPokemonis in a drought of content would be a bit of an overstatement. The series has enjoyed near-annual releases for several years now, with the output of the series increasing dramatically since the jump to 3D. That leap forward first occurred in the Kalos Region withPokemon X and Y. Players will finally be able toreturn to the Kalos Region inPokemon Legends: Z-A, but will have to wait quite a while longer before doing so.
Pokemon Legends: Z-Ais currently set to release at some point in 2025, and the lack of a specific date means the game could be released as late as December. This yearlong wait could be for any number of reasons, and many are largely understandable. First and foremost, the game could need more polish, and this is certainly a worthy pursuit after the criticism pointed at recentPokemongames. Otherwise, developers may simply be leaving room torelease the game on the Nintendo Switch 2.
The Vast Potential of Pokemon Spin-Offs
Whatever the case may be,Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s release leaves a window of opportunity for the series.Pokemon Scarlet and Violetwas released back in 2022, and although it released DLC the following year, a three-year gap between mainline titles is still one of the largest in the series' history. Thankfully, thePokemonseries has no small number of major spin-offs that could fill this gap.
Of course, the idea of anotherPokemonremake could excite fans as well, but this seems unlikely at the moment. Game Freak has indicated that the bulk of its resources are being dedicated towardsLegends: Z-Aand the upcoming Generation 10. Full-scale remakes can take just as much time and effort as standard mainline titles, meaningthe nextPokemonremakelikely won’t be announced until after these other projects have been released.
The Best Pokemon Spin-Offs That Are Due for a New Entry
With that in mind,Pokemonspin-offs seem like the much more reasonable option. This is great news as well, given the impressive libraryPokemonhas. For example,Pokemon SnapandPokemon Mystery Dungeonare equally acclaimed titles that are bound to stir some excitement. However, there are some other corners of the series that are long overdue for some representation as well. Among the titles that are waiting in the wings,Pokemon Stadiumis no doubt the most deserving of a return.
For many fans,Pokemon Stadiumrepresents the best of what the series could be, and a new entry could generate a lot of excitement for the next mainline game.Pokemon Rangeris a bit more obscure, but its quality provides another great example of the potential behind any givenPokemonspin-off. Whatever direction developers choose to take, releasing aPokemonspin-off seems like the best way to tide fans over until the eventual release ofPokemon Legends: Z-A.
