The Pokemon franchise has always been massive, but 2022 is shaping up to be its strongest year yet. Starting off with the critically acclaimed Legends: Arceus would have been enough to satisfy fans for the year, but every side game is also receiving major updates, the Pokemon anime is airing more episodes, and a whole new generation, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, will wrap up the year.
Pokemon has been more popular than ever after first coming to the Switch with Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee in 2018, but fans were unhappy with the formula getting stale - something that continued all the way through November 2021's Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. With expectations only able to go up from here, Legends: Arceus completely changed the gameplay for the better and blew fans away. The game still feels lacking in terms of story and world design, though, so many expected it to be a solid test run for the next games in the series, but no one anticipated them within the same year. If all goes well, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have the potential to bring Pokemon excitement to the max and usher the series into a new era.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Major Impact
Despite the fact that it is barely March, Pokemon's year is already off to an incredible start. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the major force behind this, as it transformed the formulaic series into the action-adventure RPG that players have always dreamed of. Players now actively explore the environment, hiding in tall grass to throw bait and sneak up on Pokemon. Battles now happen seamlessly in the world, with no more lengthy transitions and plain battle backgrounds. The game makes countless positive changes to the Pokemon formula beyond these, from swapping out learned moves on the fly to choosing to evolve a Pokemon when ready. Nearly every new feature introduced in Legends: Arceus should be a staple for future games, and will surely be missed if not present.
Not even a month after its release, Legends: Arceus received a free, major update in the form of the Daybreak Update. This update adds a ton of endgame content to hold over even the most hardcore fans for the time being. Fans of battling can take part in the Path of Solitude battles, which are unique challenges for all the game's 242 Pokemon species, or the Eternal Battle Reverie, which is a series of consecutive difficult battles. Players who are into shiny and alpha hunting are shown some love with the update as well, as the new massive mass outbreaks make hunting easier than ever, even for some rarer species from the base game. Pokemon Legends: Arceus on its own would be enough to satisfy fans until 2023, but there is still much more on the way.
Updates to All of Pokemon's Side Games
Fans of the main series Pokemon games are just one section of the franchise's massive audience. On top of the major releases, multiple spinoffs receive a constant stream of support. These include Pokemon GO, Pokemon Masters EX, Pokemon Cafe ReMix, and Pokemon Unite. GO has the largest of these updates with the inclusion of the first wave of Pokemon from Sun and Moon, the franchise's seventh generation. Even nearly six years into the game's lifespan, the addition of a new generation is always an exciting time for Pokemon GO players. It is rare that new Pokemon are added to the game, so the 21 species to catch and evolve in the Alola update feel like a treat. This means more raids to win, eggs to hatch, and more city blocks to roam for hours on end.
Pokemon GO is not the only spin-off getting attention this year, as major updates for all the other titles have been announced. Pokemon Masters EX is currently celebrating its 2.5 Year Anniversary by adding three powerful new units for players to team up with. On top of this, the new Victory Road mode is available, which serves as a detailed tutorial for the game's harder battles. Pokemon Cafe ReMix is receiving new characters and a timed puzzle mode, and lastly, Unite added Hoopa as a playable character as well as a brand-new game mode where skill cooldowns are reduced greatly. While Pokemon's main games get most of the spotlight, each of the spin-off games shine in their own light and are receiving enough regular updates to make 2022 a good year for the franchise on their own.
Pokemon Journeys, Scarlet and Violet, and Beyond
Legends: Arceus and the updates to Pokemon's bevy of spin-off games make for an exciting year, but there is still much more on the horizon. The current anime series, Pokemon Master Journeys, is receiving new episodes to stream on Netflix, and there are bound to be multiple new sets for the trading card game. However, the largest news is the surprise announcement of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
The ninth generation of Pokemon games seem to be the start of a new era. Scarlet and Violet are marketed as an open-world adventure within a region that fans have discovered resembles Spain. The reveal trailer does not show much, but it is confirmed that battles will once again happen seamlessly in the overworld, and that there appear to be towns and a Pokemon League within the region. A return to the gym challenge formula bolstered by the gameplay changes made in Legends: Arceus can potentially make for a very strong entry in the series.
Riding on the high of Janurary's Pokemon Legends: Arceus, 2022 is a great year for the franchise. Pokemon fans who enjoy the main games, side games, or anime all have something to look forward to, which all culminates in the massive release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are set to release for Nintendo Switch in late 2022.