New Pokémon Leaks Give Release Date Windows For Legends Z-A & Gen 10 Games

Summary The next Pokémon games, like Legends Z-A and Gen 10, may not drop until 2025 or even 2026, according to leaks from Centro LEAKS.

Pokémon TCG Pocket is the big game to look forward to in 2024, with Gen 10 potentially coming in 2026 for the series' 30th anniversary.

Rumors suggest that the next mainline games may release on the Nintendo Switch 2.

The release windows for the next Pokémon games may have just been revealed and fans may need to wait longer than expected for them to drop. Announced in early 2024, the forthcoming Pokémon Legends Z-A is one of the series' most anticipated releases while the Generation 10 games, which haven't been formally unveiled, are already generating plenty of hype and speculation. While these tentpole installments are no doubt the biggest titles fans are anticipating, it seems that 2024 may be a significantly slower year for The Pokémon Company as it prioritizes a smaller but still exciting game.

Per reputable leaker Centro LEAKS on X (formerly Twitter), Pokémon Legends Z-A is not slated for early 2025, suggesting that it may drop later in the year unlike the previous games, Legends Arceus, which debuted at the very beginning of 2022.

As for the Gen 10 games, the insider suggests players should look ahead to 2026 as the next mainline game will arrive in time to celebrate the franchise's 30th Anniversary. In 2024, fans can still look forward to Pokémon TCG Pocket, the latest digital adaptation of the card game that was already confirmed for this year.

Related Every Pokémon Confirmed For Pokémon Legends Z-A (So Far) Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be set in the Kalos region & is sure to have many of the familiar friends from the X & Y games. Here’s all confirmed so far.

Gen 10 Could Break Pokémon's Usual Release Pattern

With A Longer Wait Between Games

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It had long been speculated that Game Freak was planning to mark 30 years of Pokémon by releasing the Gen 10 games in 2026, but by doing so, it could break the series' usual release pattern, which follows a 3-year cycle per generation. Even with Pokémon TCG Pocket releasing on Android and iOS this year, and the spin-off Pokémon Legends: Z-A coming in 2025, this could be the longest that fans of the series have gone without a new Pokémon game, with only a DLC for Scarlet & Violet last year.

Related 10 Pokémon Gen 10 Rumors That May Actually Happen With rumors of Pokémon Generation 10 circulating, many people are theorizing about what the next generation has in store for trainers.

Could Pokémon Gen 10 Launch On The Switch 2?

It Seems Very Likely Indeed

Previous rumors have claimed that developer Game Freak is lining up the Generation 10 Pokémon games to release for the so-called Nintendo Switch 2, the next iteration of the ever-popular hybrid console. While this was previously dismissed as a mere possibility, it certainly seems more likely now that Nintendo has solidified its plans to unveil its next piece of dedicated hardware. The company confirmed that the Switch's successor will be announced before the end of the current financial year, meaning it will be unveiled before March 31, 2025.

If CentroLeaks' information is solid, that would mean that both Legends Z-A and the Gen 10 games will release for the Switch 2. It's worth noting that Game Freak has yet to offer any kind of update on when fans can expect the next games, so its worth taking the report with a pinch of salt. Having said that, the leaker has had several substantial hits in the past, so their track record is relatively decent compared to many other leakers.

Related 10 Pokémon X & Y Mysteries Legends: Z-A Can Finally Solve Pokémon Legends Z-A will revisit the Kalos region and has the opportunity to uncover mysteries that have remained unsolved since X and Y's release.

Longer Development Could Help Improve Gen 10 Significantly

Scarlet & Violet Faced Strong Criticisms Upon Its Launch

Of course, this longer break could be a blessing in disguise, as it could give Game Freak some extra time to develop the title. If Gen 10 is targeting the franchise's 30-year celebration, more eyes will be on it than usual, and so it will come under far more scrutiny than past titles. In recent years, there have been complaints surrounding performance and the open world seeming lifeless, potentially due to using the same in-house Proprietary game engine instead of upgrading to one that would bring the franchise in line with other modern open-world games.

Last year, Game Freak posted a job listing for a Technical Artist with experience in Unreal Engine, suggesting that Gen 10 will be running on a different engine from its predecessors. Unreal Engine 5 is one of the industry-leading engines now due to its powerful tools such as Lumen and Nanite which allow for dynamic, real-time lighting in incredibly detailed scenes that can be rendered without using too much memory. If Game Freak is looking to use Unreal Engine for Pokémon, this could combat the past criticisms by producing a vast, stunning open world that runs smoothly on Nintendo's upcoming console even if it is in a handheld mode.

Palworld, which drew comparisons to Pokémon upon its release, also moved its development from Unity to Unreal Engine 5, giving players some idea of the kind of open world experience the engine can offer the Pokémon franchise in the future.

Whatever the case may be, the Pokémon community is holding its breath when it comes to the next games in the franchise. After the disastrous launch of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, a game that was widely considered to be incomplete upon release, fans are hoping the next Switch will have additional power to provide a smoother experience. Whether that's the case remains to be seen, but reports claim that Nintendo's next console will sport some much-needed hardware upgrades to support these larger titles.

Source: Centro LEAKS/X