It’s that time of year: A whole bunch of Pokémon news is incoming. February 27th is the date the franchise first debuted, and The Pokémon Company uses it as a chance to outline its plans in a Pokémon Presents showcase. Last year’s event included the announcement of Pokémon Champions, and the 2026 edition should be particularly big, as this year represents the franchise’s 30th anniversary.
TPCi says simply that it will feature “the latest news and updates from the world of Pokémon,” without getting into any specifics. But there’s a good chance we’ll hear about the next mainline entry in the series, given that Scarlet and Violet launched back in 2022. Personally, I’m hoping for an unexpected spinoff along the lines of Pokémon Sleep.
One thing we do know is that after the show ends, both Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are getting a re-release on the Switch.
The showcase airs at 9AM ET, and you can keep up with the most important news right here.
It’s time to say goodbye to the Paldea region because a new generation of mainline Pokémon games are on the way.
During today’s big Pokémon Presents stream, Nintendo announced that Pokémon Winds and Waves are the next installments in the core game series. The games will launch in 2027 and are exclusive for the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo also shared a trailer showcasing a new trio of starter pokémon — Browt, Pombon, and Gecua — and a number of different environments you’ll be able to explore as you play through the games.
Green means go.
As a reminder, now that the stream is over, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen — remakes of the original games for the GBA — are now available on the Switch.
A battle royale.
The battle-focused spinoff Pokémon Champions has a launch date — or a month, at least. The Nintendo Switch version is out in April, while mobile players will have to wait until later in the year.
Nintendo’s making a mini Game Boy music player.
Sure, you can just pull up digital versions of the Junichi Masuda’s music from Pokémon Red and Blue. Or you can pick up one of the new Game Boy-inspired music players Nintendo is releasing along with 45 different cartridges that seem to play one song each.
Gotta watch it all.
The latest Pokémon Presents showcase streams this morning, and given the fact that it also marks the franchise’s 30th anniversary, we’re expecting some good announcements. You can watch it right here.
Image: Nintendo / The Pokémon Company
Pokémon Day is always a big deal for Nintendo fans, but with this year being the franchise’s 30th anniversary, the next Pokémon Presents stream is likely to bring the heat when it begins on February 27th at 9AM ET. With Pokémon Legends: Z-A behind us and Pokémon Pokopia right around the corner, chances are high that we’re finally going to get some new information about the franchise’s next mainline game. But there’s also a chance that we’ll see more from Pokémon Champions and hear about updates for other spin-off games like Pokémon Unite, TCG Pocket, and Pokémon Sleep.
In addition to announcing the next Presents stream, Nintendo also revealed today that Pokémon FireRed / LeafGreen — which originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 — will be coming to the Nintendo Switch family of consoles via the eShop next week (note: they won’t be available as part of the Switch Online subscription). The rereleased games don’t seem to feature any significant changes from their original versions. But they will be available to download as soon as next week’s Pokémon Presents concludes, and Nintendo also says that the game will be “available at select retailers launch week for a suggested retail price of $19.99.”