2026 is Suddenly Huge Not Just For Pokemon Games, But Pokemon Clones, Too

Pokemon fans may be getting ready to play Pokemon Legends: Z-A next month, but they should also prepare for 2026 as the year starts to wrap up. 2026 marks Pokemon‘s 30th anniversary, and players already have plenty of important releases to look forward to outside the milestone’s celebrations. Of course, Pokemon has been a franchise that delivers consistently year-to-year, be it with full game releases, merchandise, anime, or any of the multitude of options at The Pokemon Company’s disposal. However, anniversary years are special. The last two saw initiatives that widened the scope to where the 25th anniversary was celebrated all year, and the 30th anniversary will likely be just as busy.

Depending on what The Pokemon Company does in 2026, its loyal fans could have their hands full of all sorts of things to do, but that won’t be the only thing taking up their schedule. Outside of Pokemon, other prominent releases should catch the eye of fans who adore the monster-catching and raising RPG. There are two, technically three, big releases currently slated for 2026 that aim to bring Pokemon fans into their world by featuring similar mechanics. If players are interested, then their schedule might double or triple for the year. It’ll be hard to keep track of if everything pans out as the year starts. Luckily, such a packed schedule means there’s something for almost every fan imaginable.

Everything Pokemon Fans Have to Look Forward to From the Series or Otherwise

What Pokemon Could Potentially Do For Its 30th and Similar Games Releasing in 2026

• Pokemon 30th Anniversary promotions, which will lead to all sorts of merchandise and projects throughout the year.
• Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Dimension DLC, with a rumor circulating that Mega Dimension isn’t the only DLC the game is getting.
• Pokemon Champions is set to release, which will change competitive VCG Pokemon completely just in time for the World Championships.
• The anniversary date in February will likely mark the reveal of the Generation 10 games with a release date of November 2026.
• If true, Generation 10 will bring in even more merchandise, trading cards, and plenty more items for the collectors of the series to enjoy.
• Pokemon Pokopia is set to launch in 2026, marking the series’ first foray into life sim games.
• Palworld will be leaving early access and releasing its 1.0 version next year, with tons of content along with it.
• There’s a chance HoYoVerse will release Honkai: Nexus Anima next year.
• Aniimo is set to launch in 2026 as well, bringing an entirely new creature-catching experience to PC, console, and mobile.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that the list above includes a fair bit of reasonable speculation. In terms of Pokemon, it’s not unreasonable to think that Generation 10 could be out next year, considering The Pokemon Company’s track record with celebrating anniversaries and the franchise’s usual production schedule. On top of that, even though the second unannounced Pokemon Legends: Z-A DLC is based on a rumor, it makes sense with how Sword and Shield and Scarlet and Violet got two expansions each. The idea isn’t out of the ordinary for the Pokemon series.

If Generation 10 is released next year, potentially after Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s second DLC, then Champions and Pokopia thrown into the mix will leave players with no shortage of titles to play. If competitive play or life simulation games aren’t a player’s cup of tea, then Aniimo, Honkai: Nexus Anima, and Palworld may have something to offer players in between Pokemon games.

Even if the next HoYoVerse title isn’t released next year, 2026 still seems to be the year of creature-catching games, as fans will certainly be up to their ears in content. Those wanting to try everything in the genre that 2026 has to offer should certainly make sure their schedule is cleared to make it all fit, as there’s likely more surprises to come before and after the year begins.