The Pokemon franchise turned 25 last year, and many exciting things came or were announced throughout 2021, such as New Pokemon Snap or Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. The former was particularly appreciated for its graphics, whereas Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's announcement and subsequent release in November was applauded by those who wanted remakes of Gen 4 games. Also, some players expected the official announcement for Generation 9 due to how special the 25th anniversary of the series was and Pokemon Sword and Shield 2-year anniversary, but this wasn't the case.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus was revealed, however, bringing attention to all the mechanics and features players could expect from a semi-open-world Pokemon game. With only a few days to spare before Pokemon Legends: Arceus is finally released worldwide, there is still a lot to talk about regarding what it's going to entail and the possibility of DLCs coming for it. Still, there is a lot more to look forward to with every new year when it comes to Pokemon, and this year it seems more likely to have some surprises waiting for those who want Generation 9 games to launch sooner rather than later.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus Expectations and Future Plans in 2022
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is likely not going to be the only release for 2022, but it is a big one for the Pokemon series due to how different it looks when compared to mainline titles. One of the most striking aspects of Pokemon Legends: Arceus is that its whole premise is based on the fact that humans and Pokemon live their lives separately, and the entire game revolves around catching Pokemon and witnessing them live in their natural habitats rather than going all out on a quest to become Champion. And yet, it has been speculated that the Pokedex for the Hisui region is going to include around 250 to 300 entries total, which leaves plenty of room for more content further down the line.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus delving more into strategy is a fantastic change, as it allows the gameplay to be turn-based, but also takes a different spin on things with Agile Style and Strong Style moves blending into the mix. This could revolutionize the series' long-standing take on Pokemon battles, with creatures being able to perform more actions in a row or balancing the power of each move differently because players have more agency over how much damage each move can deal. Furthermore, it seems that Pokemon Legends: Arceus will feature overworld shiny Pokemon, which could make it a great game for catching rare critters while also completing more quests and Pokedex tasks.
Considering how Pokemon Sword and Shield were criticized for having a very limited Pokedex on release, and how tables have turned with the release of the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra DLCs, it's not impossible that Pokemon Legends: Arceus will get the same treatment. Because the game is launching in January, if DLCs are something Game Freak has been working on, the first one could see the light of day as early as this summer or even late spring, given the pattern for Pokemon Sword and Shield. There are also rumors pointing at a big April announcement, and Pokemon Day is also coming in just about a month, making those ideal dates to reveal more about future plans for Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
Pokemon Generation 9 - Potential Announcement and Release in 2022
Generation 9 is something that's been rumored quite heavily for this year for a few reasons. The first is that Pokemon Sword and Shield will turn three this November, and the second, more importantly, is that there is no official Pokemon release scheduled for the holiday season later this year. Pokemon games often undergo a certain development cycle that allows Nintendo to launch them every three years, on average, and 2022 would fit right into the pattern. Also, new mainline games have already been announced in February of a given year only to launch in the holiday season, such as Pokemon Sun and Moon in 2016 or Pokemon Sword and Shield in 2019.
If the April rumor applies to Generation 9, however, it could also mean that new Pokemon games won't be launching prior to 2023. Pokemon Sword and Shield remain the main hub for competitive events, but a 2023 release for Generation 9 could also lead to Gen 8 remaining the go-to games for well over a year from now. As such, 2022 would be the perfect time to launch Generation 9 games, and there is still plenty of time for them to be officially announced.
Clues about this possibility have been running rampant since the reveal of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and the reason for this is that they were developed by ILCA Inc., rather than Game Freak. And while Game Freak has been busy working on Pokemon Legends: Arceus for a long time, the company is divided into two teams, which leaves the question as to what "team 2" has been doing in the meantime. Generation 9 is also rumored to be based on Italy for its region, all because of an in-game painting from Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl seemingly showing Venice. All of this remains speculation for the time being, but the clues are indeed stacking up.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Events in 2022
Speaking of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, some players were able to access the Shaymin encounter through a glitch, which led many to believe that official events for the Grass-type Pokemon and also Darkrai would become available at some point. 2022 seems like the perfect year to do so, seeing that the player base will soon be moving to Pokemon Legends: Arceus or back to Pokemon Sword and Shield. Additionally, Arceus is nowhere to be found in the remakes for Gen 4, and because the Pokemon is quite rare, it would make sense for Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl to have an Arceus-themed event at the same time as Pokemon Legends: Arceus' imminent release, or shortly after.
Returning Pokemon Side Games in 2022
The Pokemon franchise is no stranger to side games and spin-offs, which titles like Pokemon Unite and the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon saga are part of. Every year new Pokemon side games pop up, be it as a new series or one or more entries in existing series. Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness are great examples of titles that should come back at some point, considering they were generally well-received by critics and the community. 2022 would be a fantastic time to bring them back, or even reprise the Pokemon Ranger series that saw its last entry in 2010.
Even the Pokken series could eventually return, but players have been theorizing that Pokemon Let's Go could return with Generation 2-inspired titles, instead. Overall, with side games, there is no telling which ones will actually return because they usually don't make a pattern that's as consistent as mainline releases, but it's in the realm of possibilities that players will return to the Orre region or explore new Mystery Dungeons in 2022.