Pokémon News
News We're Getting An Official Pokémon Encyclopedia Written By Animal Behaviourists And Ecologists
Pokécology launches in Japan in June
In one of the most novel ideas we've seen from The Pokémon Company, the media giant has revealed Pokécology, an official book that focuses on the behaviours of the fictional creatures. Reported on my Automaton Media, Pokécology will be released in Japan on 18th June 2025 by publisher Shogakukan, with no...
News Nintendo's On A Mission To Unmask The Pokémon 'Teraleak' Hacker
Requesting Discord to cough up the deets
If you cast your mind back to October 2024, you might recall The Pokémon Company being subjected to a hacking which resulted in huge amounts of company data (including personal information regarding its employees) being leaked online. The so-called 'Teraleak' was one of the largest in recent memory, and now...
News After Selling Pokémon GO For $3.5 Billion, Niantic Spatial Is Now Laying Off Employees
68 workers will lose their jobs next month
Niantic is laying off 68 employees next month, following its multi-billion dollar sale of its gaming division which includes the AR mega-hit Pokémon GO, Game Developer reports. The outlet spotted a
News This Adorable Pokémon Gets Its First Trading Card In More Than 15 Years This Month
Chingle bells
With the Pokémon Trading Card Game being at the height of popularity right now, you'd think that most Pocket Monsters regularly get new cards. Well, that's not been the case for a certain baby Pokémon first introduced in Pokémon Diamond & Pearl. But that's about to change in the next expansion, coming later this month (thanks...
News Surprise, Palworld Dev Isn't Fond Of The 'Pokémon With Guns' Description
Gee, wonder why...
"Pokémon with guns" became the go-to description for Pocketpair's Palworld because, well, the screenshots and footage shown around its initial announcement indicated that, yes, the in-game creatures look like Pokémon holding guns. According to communications director and publishing manager John ‘Bucky’ Buckley (thanks,...
News Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Is Getting A Free Performance Upgrade On Switch 2
Along with several other big Switch games
Nintendo has confirmed that select Switch games will receive a free upgrade to improve playability and performance on the Switch 2. Some titles may also receive added functionality for GameShare. Chief amongst these is Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, a release that was widely criticised for its dire frame rate...
News Wait, Is The Pokémon Company Finally Making Good On Its TCG Reprint Promise?
Select restocks seemingly coming soon
After a couple of disastrous launches for recent Trading Card Game expansions, The Pokémon Company released a statement last week stating that it is "actively working to print more of the impacted Pokémon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity". We read the promise with a raised eyebrow...
News Huh, The Pokémon Company's Statement On TCG Shortages Sure Looks Familiar
Fool me once, shame on Mew
After a series of pretty disastrous launches for Trading Card Game expansions, The Pokémon Company has today issued a statement outlining its approach to releasing sets moving forward. The problem is, we've heard it all before. Like, almost word for word (thanks, Kotaku). The upcoming Destined Rivals expansion has been...
News New Pokémon Legends Z-A Trailer Dives Into Even More Upcoming Features
But still no date?
Hot off the back of last months Pokémon Presents, the Nintendo Direct has given us a closer look at Pokémon Legends: Z-A, with a new trailer that dives into some of the game's features. The focus of this one was all about the battling, with a closer look at the new real-time combat system and how it plays into Trainer battles...
News Pokémon TCG Pocket Update Introduces Shinies And Ranked Battles
Ooh, shiny
The latest major update for Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is now available, bringing with it a total of 72 normal cards and a plethora of secret cards via the new 'Shiny Revelry' booster pack. As the name implies, the new booster pack introduces Shiny Pokémon for the first time, bringing back a fan-favourite mechanic that started...
What's the ETA on those ETBs?
Yesterday, the Pokémon Company launched its latest Trading Card Game expansion, Destined Rivals, via its online store. As was predicted, the set proved to be massively popular, and many of those hoping to pick up one of the sought-after Elite Trainer Boxes were hit with site crashes and multiple hour-long wait times...
Random Not Even Horror Maestro Stephen King Can Crack A Good Pokémon Joke
"I’ll show myself out."
Often regarded as one of the greatest writers in modern literature, Stephen King has produced novels that have gone down in history as some of the best horror stories of all time. The Stand, IT, Pet Semetery, The Shining, Carrie... Chances are that if you haven't read these stories or seen the TV/movie adaptations, then...
Rumour Pokémon Legends: Z-A Will Add Lots Of New Mega Evolutions, It's Claimed
A mega teaser of what's to come?
Ahead of the funniest day of the year next week, there's a new Pokémon Legends: Z-A rumour doing the rounds online. While we already know Mega Evolutions will be making a return in this latest entry, the leaker formerly known as Pyoro is supposedly teasing this anticipated release will add brand-new Mega...
News Pokémon's Team Rocket Is Returning To The Trading Card Game In A New Set
Here's a first look
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is currently booming and this trend looks set to continue with the reveal of the new set. It marks the return of the fictional crime organisation Team Rocket and is officially titled 'The Glory of Team Rocket'. It will be coming to Japan on 18th April 2025 and will include 98 standard cards with...
Random Did You Know About These Hidden Animations In Pokémon Stadium?
A Mimic miracle
If you're anything like us, you probably spent a fair amount of time soaking up the 3D vibes of Pokémon Stadium in the early 2000s. This was the franchise's first foray into the third dimension and, at the time, it was mind-blowing. Charizard? With depth? Is this the future? But no matter how long we played, some features remained...
Opinion We'll Never Get A Final Boss As Good As Pokémon Legends: Arceus Again
God-like
Editor's note: As the headline suggests, this article discusses late-game spoilers for Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Ask me what my favourite thing about Pokémon Legends: Arceus is, and I can give you a non-exhaustive list. Being able to catch Pokémon without engaging them in battle. Having actual, proper sidequests with rewards. Shiny...
News Pokémon GO Promises It Won't Introduce "Intrusive Ads" Or Playtime Restrictions
"No, that is not happening"
It's a new era for Niantic's mobile hit Pokémon GO now that the games division has been sold to Monopoly Go! maker Scopely for $3.5 billion. This has naturally raised some concerns about the title's future - with some players reportedly worried about "intrusive ads" and possible restrictions on playtime being introduced...
Talking Point What's Your Dream Pokémon LEGO Set?
Wish upon a Starmie
It's the collaboration that we only thought possible in our dreams, but LEGO and The Pokémon Company are officially teaming up on a set (dare we say "sets"?) in 2026. The problem is, we have no idea what's in store yet — the brief teaser from LEGO showcased a bricky Pikachu tail and that's about it. It's safe to assume that...
News It's Official, LEGO Pokémon Sets Are Finally Coming Our Way Next Year
Update: LEGO confirms
After many years of exclusivity with MEGA Bloks, it looks like The Pokémon Company might finally be teaming up with LEGO in 2026. That is, if a recent leak is to be believed. According to a post on the fittingly-named r/Legoleak Reddit forum, the LEGO Mexico Facebook page uploaded a short video teasing the Pokémon...
News Pocketpair Recalls "Depressing Day" Nintendo Announced Its Palworld Lawsuit
Global community manager speaks out
Although many had previously commented on the similarities between Palworld and Pokémon, it was nevertheless a huge surprise when Nintendo announced its patent lawsuit against developer Pocketpair. According to Pocketpair's global community manager, however, none were quite as surprised as the team itself. In...
News Pokémon Center Singapore Sticks Its Middle Finger Up To TCG Scalpers
Store will remove plastic wrapping at point of sale
For as long as Pokémon TCG (Trading Card Game) has been a thing, scalping has been an ongoing issue. If you're somehow unaware at this point as to what the practice entails, it essentially sees certain consumers purchasing products at retail price before selling them on at huge mark-ups. It's not...
News Emio - The Smiling Man Wins Best Adventure Game At Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2024
Pokémon's next entry also got a win
Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club has won the best "adventure" game award at the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards for 2024. Apart from this, the upcoming Switch release Pokémon Legends: Z-A took out the most anticipated title, the "hand-drawn 2D action-platformer" Nine Sols won best indie game, and...
News Pokémon TCG Pocket Update To Remove Trade Tokens Following Player Feedback
"More accessible and enjoyable"
Earlier this year, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket rolled out its trading feature and certain aspects didn't exactly go down well with the playerbase. This feedback was taken on board, and the development team has now returned with information on how exactly this experience will be changed. Most notably, is the...
News Niantic Sells Pokémon GO And Entire Gaming Division For $3.5 Billion
Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now are also going
It's official — Niantic, the developer of Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, has sold its gaming division for a staggering $3.5 billion to Scopely, "a world leader in mobile games". This acquisition comes just a few weeks after reports emerged that Niantic was in talks to sell...
News Nintendo & Pokémon Company Had An "Adversarial Relationship", Say Former NOA Staffers
"There was a little bit of salt"
In a recent episode of their podcast, former Nintendo of America staffers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang discussed details about what they called the "adversarial relationship" between NOA and the US arm of The Pokémon Company. The pair discussed tensions between the US teams while looking back on the origins of the...
News Pokémon Almost Became A "Gritty" Baseball-Themed RPG In The West
"Could we make it that they’re all baseball players in a baseball league?"
Gail Tilden, former Nintendo of America’s marketing boss, recently spoke to The Video Game History Foundation's Frank Cifaldi at the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo, and one of the topics she touched upon was the small matter of launching Pokémon in the West. As you'll...
Opinion Legends Z-A's Xenoblade-Style Battles Are Pokémon's Most Exciting Evolution In Years
What? Pokémon is evolving!
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something crazy: I like the look of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. I reckon I have about five minutes before the torches are lit and an angry mob appears outside my house, so let me throw another bombshell out there. I think the series' turn-based battles have grown stale, and no amount...
Random These Hugging Pokémon Plushies Are Some Of The Cutest We've Seen In A While
Cubone used Hug
There's nothing quite like a cute Pokémon plush to bring a smile to the face, is there? Well, this new range arriving in Japan's Pokémon Centers next week might just be the cutest of the bunch (thanks, NintendoSoup). The "Brrr... Squish! Plush Toys" series (at least, that's the way Google Translate puts it) will arrive in the...
Random Honda Teases Real-Life Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Motorbike
Update: Here's the official reveal
Remember last year when The Pokémon Company teamed up with Japanese vehicle manufacturer Toyota to create a real-life Miraidon motorbike? Well, Pokémon is now doing it again, but this time it's teaming up with the folks at Honda and this "almost life-size reproduction" is based on the other Scarlet and Violet...
News Was That Pokémon Legends: Z-A Footage Running On Switch 2? Digital Foundry Weighs In
Prepare for a pretty obvious answer
Last week, we got our first look at some actual, real Pokémon Legends: Z-A footage. People have seemed pretty split between "we're so back!" and "it's so over!" in the days since, but we can all agree that it all looked very 'Switch 1', right? Apparently, not everyone thought it was that clean-cut, and some have...
Random Try Not To Cringe Watching This Video Of A Pokémon TCG Scalper
Gentlemen, please...
As long as Pokémon TCG exists, there will always be scalpers looking to make a quick buck from the game's rare cards and packs. Case in point, a new video has surfaced in which two men appear to be fighting it out to take advantage of a kiosk restock. The video comes from TikTok user 'yoc9official', who appears to be one of...
Random Pokémon-Shaped Cheeto Auction Proves The World Has Gone Mad
Sorry, it sold for how much..?
A Flamin' Hot Cheeto shaped like Pokémon's Charizard has sold for a mind-boggling $87,840 at a recent auction on Goldin (thanks, Polygon). Yes, the 'Cheetozard' started off at $250 before receiving a staggering 60 bids from auctioneers before ending on 2nd March 2025 with a winning bid of $72,000 (with the buyer's...
News Pokémon TCG Pocket Surpasses 100 Million Downloads
That's a lot of cards
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket developer DeNA has announced that the hit card-collecting app has surpassed 100 million downloads worldwide. Yep, 100 million. The app actually reached this download milestone last week whilst we were all deep in Pokémon Day celebrations, but a number that big is worthy of some recognition,...
Guide Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Mystery Gift Codes List
All the current Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Mystery Gift codes
Mystery Gifts are returning for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and that means you'll be able to get various Poké freebies over the coming months (and years!). The Pokémon Company and Nintendo will be releasing various special distributions for the games to give fans unique rewards, and...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Pokémon Trading Card Game
Gotta trade 'em all
Welcome, Trainers! It's time to embark on another journey into the wonderful world of Box Art Brawl. Before we head out, however, let's visit the lab and recap what happened last week. It was the DS' River King: Mystic Valley that we put under the microscope and, surprising nobody, the awful European variant came dead last...
News Pokémon Champions Reveals Multiplayer Battle Mode Options
A new challenger has appeared!
Pokémon Champions was one of the major announcements during the latest Pokémon Presents broadcast and we're still learning all sorts of things about it. The game's website and
Guide Best Pokémon Games Of All Time
Gotta rank 'em all
Ranking the best Pokémon games is no easy feat given that many of them are considered among the best games of their particular hardware generation. Then you have to consider just how many spin-off Pokémon games have come out over the last 30 years or so, too! To make things a little simpler for everyone, we're going to focus on...
Guide Pokémon TCG Pocket: Best Triumphant Light Cards, Full Pack List
Know your Arceus from your elbow
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket's next expansion, Triumphant Light, is here and we've been busy cashing in our pack hourglasses to pick up as many of the new cards as possible. As was the case with the game's previous mini-expansion, Mythical Island, this is a much smaller set than the likes of
News Pokémon Company's CEO Reckons Series Can Reach Its 100th Anniversary
Well sure, why not?
Pokémon's no doubt been at the forefront of everybody's minds this week as we finally got our first proper glimpse at Pokémon Legends: Z-A ahead of its launch later this year. As part of the wider Pokémon Day celebrations, the BBC recently caught up with The Pokémon Company's CEO, Tsunekazu Ishihara, to discuss the franchise...
Poll Which Starter Pokémon Will You Choose In Legends: Z-A?
Choices, choices...
What's the most important part of a Pokémon game? The roster of 'mons? The setting? The story? Well, sort of the first, but tangential — it's the starter Pokémon. We now know just who the starter trio of Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be. And, similarly to Legends: Arceus, it's a triple threat of returning favourites. Chikorita,...
Guide Pokémon Legends: Z-A - Release Date, Starters, Everything We Know So Far
All details, updates, release dates, and more
Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the second Pokémon game to bear the Legends moniker, was announced at the February 2024 Pokémon Presents. Taking the Legends formula to new heights, Legends: Z-A takes a more modern-day approach to the world compared to its predecessor, Legends: Arceus. As more details emerge...
News Pokémon Legends: Z-A Introduces Thrilling Series First "Real Time" Battles
"Trainers and their Pokémon will move around in real time"
The new update about Pokémon Legends: Z-A has revealed all sorts of exciting details and we're still unpacking everything here on Nintendo Life. One thing you don't want to overlook is the new "series first" where Pokémon and trainers take action in "real time" during battles. The...
News Pokémon Champions Limited To "Select Pokémon" At Launch
There'll also be Pokémon HOME restrictions
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the latest Pokémon Presents broadcast was the reveal of the new Switch and mobile title Pokémon Champions. It follows in the footsteps of games like Pokémon Stadium, where the focus is exclusively on trainer battles. As exciting as it is to see the return of this type of...
Opinion Pokémon Legends: Z-A Looks Cool, But It's Lacking Arceus' Unique Style
We're getting Scarlet and Violet vibes
One year after its initial announcement, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has finally been showcased properly during the most recent Pokémon Presents, giving us a good look at the upcoming title's gameplay and features. It wasn't quite the deep dive many of us were hoping for, but it was certainly enough to whet our...
Gallery New Pokémon Legends: Z-A Screenshots Give A Closer Look At The Upcoming Adventure
Pokémon Snaps
The February 2025 Pokémon Presents showcase gave us our best look yet at Pokémon Legends: Z-A, showcasing the new battle system, starters and some of the friendly faces we can expect to meet along the way. It was a jam-packed trailer, to be sure, and The Pokémon Company has now updated the official Legends: Z-A website with a...
Guide Pokémon Legends: Z-A Pokédex - Every Confirmed Pokémon So Far
Time to catch 'em all?
With a return to Kalos and Lumiose City coming in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, that means we'll have another set of Pocket Monsters to catch and collect. With the game set to launch in late 2025, we've been keeping an eye on all of the trailers and promotional material for the game to round up every single Pokémon coming to...
Guide Pokémon Presents February 2025: Every Announcement, Full Livestream
Legends Z-A! Champions! TCG Sets!
Well, there you have it, Trainers. The February 2025 Pokémon Presents showcase is behind us, delivering 19 whole minutes of news and updates across The Pokémon Company's apps, cards, shows and video games. It was a pretty busy one this year (at least, compared to previous events), so below, we have listed every...
News How Would You Rate The Pokémon Presents Showcase For February 2025?
Mega or mediocre?
Well folks, another Pokémon Presents has come and gone, and it pretty much delivered exactly what we were expecting. The biggest draw was obviously Pokémon Legends: Z-A, where we got a good look at some gameplay along with confirmation that Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile will be the game's starter Pokémon. Not only that, but...
News New Pokémon TCG Pocket Set 'Triumphant Light' Arrives Tomorrow
With Arceus taking centre stage
We expected some news on the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket front in today's Pokémon Presents showcase, and we were not left disappointed. The Pokémon Company has revealed Triumphant Light, the latest set that will be coming to the mobile card-collecting app. What's more, you'll be able to start ripping packs...
News Pokémon Legends: Z-A Trailer Confirms Starters And Mega Evolutions, Coming Late 2025
Illuminating
Pokémon Legends: Z-A made a not-unexpected appearance during today's Pokémon Presents, and while it stopped short of getting a solid release date, it has been confirmed for a late 2025 release date — likely in time for the holidays. In the new footage, we got a look at many of the Pokémon you'll be running into, a detailed look at...
