London, United Kingdom —February 27, 2022—Today, The Pokémon Company announced Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, new video games coming to the blockbuster series that first captivated fans with the Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green games 26 years ago. The announcement was made during a special Pokémon Presents video presentation streamed online to fans around the world on Pokémon Day, the annual fan-focused, pop-culture holiday celebrating the launch of the original Pokémon games on February 27, 1996. Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet will launch in late 2022 and be available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch™ system.
“Trainers will once again embark on an epic journey of discovery and exploration,” said Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company. “Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet will be an adventure unlike any other, and I cannot wait to share this incredible experience with all of you.”
New updates for the recently released Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, Pokémon Shining Pearl, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus games were also announced in addition to in-game events for Pokémon GO, Pokémon Café ReMix, Pokémon Masters EX, and Pokémon UNITE in celebration of Pokémon’s 26th anniversary. Details about all announcements made today follow:
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet
Developed by GAME FREAK inc., Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet take a new evolutionary step in the Pokémon main series. Trainers can explore an open world where various towns with no borders blend seamlessly into the wilderness. Pokémon can be seen everywhere in this wide-open world—in the skies, in the sea, and on the streets.
As one of the main characters, Trainers will jump into the world of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet to begin their adventure, where they will have a different outfit depending on which game they are playing. Trainers will then choose either Sprigatito, the Grass Cat Pokémon, Fuecoco, the Fire Croc Pokémon, or Quaxly, the Duckling Pokémon to be their first partner Pokémon before setting off on their journey.
Sprigatito
Category: Grass Cat Pokémon
Height: 1′4″
Weight: 9 lbs.
Type: Grass
Ability: Overgrow
The capricious, attention-seeking Grass Cat Pokémon.
Fuecoco
Category: Fire Croc Pokémon
Height: 1′4″
Weight: 21.6 lbs.
Type: Fire
Ability: Blaze
The laid-back Fire Croc Pokémon that does things at its own pace.
Quaxly
Category: Duckling Pokémon
Height: 1′8″
Weight: 13.4 lbs.
Type: Water
Ability: Torrent
The earnest and tidy Duckling Pokémon.
After their release, Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet will be able to link with Pokémon HOME, a service that allows Trainers to keep their entire Pokémon collection in one place. By linking these games with Pokémon HOME, Trainers will be able to have Pokémon from other regions adventure alongside them in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.[1]
For more information about Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, please visit Pokemon.co.uk/ScarletViolet.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Daybreak, a software update (Ver. 1.1.0) for the Pokémon Legends: Arceus game, will be available starting today at 7:00 a.m. PST, February 27, 2022. In the Daybreak update, Trainers will begin investigating mysterious mass outbreaks of Pokémon that are popping up all over the Hisui region. Players will also have a chance to battle powerful opponents—like Legendary Pokémon and wardens—adding yet more options to the Pokémon battle experience.[2]
In celebration of Pokémon Day, Trainers can also receive items that will help them on their adventure in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. They can receive these items by entering the password ARCEUSADVENTURE in the Mystery Gifts menu in their game before 7:59 a.m. PST on Thursday, March 31, 2022. This gift includes 30 Ultra Balls, 30 Gigaton Balls, and 30 Jet Balls.[3]
The production of an online animated series set in the Hisui region has also begun. This series will feature an original story line and is anticipated to launch later in 2022.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus brings Trainers to the vast Sinnoh region as it existed in the past, long before the setting for Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl was established. For more information about Pokémon Legends: Arceus, please visit Pokemon.co.uk/LegendsArceus.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl
An item called Oak’s Letter will be distributed in the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl games starting today, February 27, 2022. Trainers can receive Oak’s Letter by choosing Get via Internet from the Mystery Gift menu in the game.[4] Once a Trainer receives Oak’s Letter, they can talk to Professor Oak on Route 224. He will then ask for their cooperation regarding a stone tablet like one found in the Kanto region. As the Trainer assists Professor Oak, the Mythical Pokémon Shaymin will appear. Trainers can follow it and try to add it to their team. Shaymin is the Gratitude Pokémon and is able to change into its Sky Forme using the Gracidea item.[5]
For more information about the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl video games, please visit Pokemon.co.uk/DiamondPearl.
Pokémon Day 2022 In-Game Events
In celebration of 26 years of Pokémon, several events will take place in current games across the franchise.
- Pokémon that first appeared in the Alola region, the setting of the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon games, will be appearing in the world of Pokémon GO beginning 10:00 a.m. local time on March 1, 2022. Until then, it seems that Alolan Form Exeggutor will be appearing.
- There is currently an ongoing event in Pokémon Masters EX celebrating 2.5 years since the game’s release. During the event, players can immediately receive 3,000 gems, as well as the chance to scout 10 sync pairs each day for 10 days at no cost. Additionally, Trainers May, Skyla, and Raihan will appear in special outfits as part of the 2.5-year celebration.
- In the Pokémon Café ReMix game, there are currently three events Trainers can participate in to celebrate Pokémon Day. The events are as follows:
- Log-in bonus of a celebratory crown outfit for Bulbasaur (available until Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at 9:59 p.m. PST)
- A four-day period of an increased chance of Shiny Piplup appearing (until Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 9:59 p.m. PST)
- The opportunity to use the new delivery feature 11 times at no cost (until Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at 9:59 p.m. PST)
- In Pokémon UNITE, an ongoing event to celebrate Pokémon Day is currently under way. For the first time in the game, Trainers can immediately try out the Mythical Pokémon Hoopa and earn its Unite license. Players can enjoy a Pokémon Day log-in event from now until March 14, 2022 to receive a Pokémon Day hat and t-shirt in-game. Starting today, Trainers can experience full-fury battles, a new type of quick battle in Pokémon UNITE. An exciting reveal was also made, introducing Duraludon as the next Pokémon coming to the game in the future.
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About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, please visit www.pokemon.co.uk.
About Nintendo:
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo Switch home console and Nintendo 3DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.7 billion video games and more than 740 million hardware units globally, including the Nintendo Switch™ and Nintendo 3DS family of systems, including New Nintendo 3DS™, New Nintendo 3DS XL™, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL™, Nintendo 2DS™, as well as Nintendo DS™, Nintendo DSi™, Nintendo DSi XL™, Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™, Wii™ and Wii U™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in Europe.
About Niantic, Inc.
Niantic, Inc. builds real-world experiences that foster fun, exploration, discovery and social interaction. Originally incubated within Google, Niantic was founded by John Hanke, who previously helmed the Google Geo team (including Google Maps and Google Earth) after his start-up Keyhole was acquired by Google. The company’s real-world adventure game Ingress has been downloaded more than 14 million times and is played in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. For more information on Niantic, please visit www.nianticlabs.com.