Slowly but surely, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have been revealing more details about the next original entry in the Pokemon series, Pokemon Legends: Arceus. It's already being called one of the most ambitious Pokemon games ever made because of the way it shakes up the iconic formula. The basics of catching Pokemon, building relationships with them, and training them to fight are the same, but Arceus could be the breath of fresh air Pokemon needed.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus releases in January, following the release of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl in November. Once Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have their moment in the spotlight, the focus will entirely shift toward Pokemon Legends: Arceus. The marketing for Arceus is well underway, however, and fans who know they're buying the game can preorder it now and get a few extra goodies. Some of those same bonuses are also available to players who buy the game within the first few months of its release.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus Early Purchase Bonuses
With Pokemon Legends: Arceus, fans don't have to preorder the game to avoid missing out on special in-game bonuses. This is a fantastic option for gamers who prefer to make their decision after consulting a game's initial reviews, and the purchase window for Pokemon Legends: Arceus is pretty generous. The bonuses aren't game-changing, but for those on the fence, it's nice to have some extra time to decide whether or not spending $60 on the new Pokemon game is a good idea.
Players who either preorder the game or buy it before May 9, 2022, will receive a Hisuian Growlithe Kimono set and a Baneful Fox Mask. Pokemon Legends: Arceus has been putting a huge emphasis on regional variants, and the early purchase bonuses are just one more example of this emerging trend.
The Growlithe Kimono set is, of course, inspired by Hisuian Growlithe, and the mask is inspired by Hisuian Zoroark. The Hisuian variants of Zorua and Zoroark were revealed in a new trailer that resembled found-footage from a horror movie, so a mask seems like a fitting tribute to the normal/ghost type Zoroark.
In addition to the mask and kimono, early buyers of the digital edition will receive 30 Heavy Balls. Again, this isn't a game-changing bonus, but it's nice to start a new game with a decent supply of high-quality Pokeballs. While Heavy Balls can't be thrown as far as regular Pokeballs, they do have a higher catch rate that makes them great for jumpstarting a new Pokemon collection. This bonus, however, is only available with a digital copy.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus Preorder Bonuses
All of the bonuses above can be redeemed by either preordering the game or buying it before May 9, which gives players a few months to decide whether or not they want to dive into Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Players who choose to preorder the game, however, have a couple of extra options.
Players who preorder the game from Pokemon Center will receive an Arceus Sitting Cuties plush. An image of the Arceus plush hasn't been shown yet, but Sitting Cuties is a specific collection of plushies available through Pokemon Center. The size of the plushies vary from 4 1/2 inches to 8 1/2 inches depending on the Pokemon, so Arceus, the god of Pokemon, is likely to be on the larger side. All of the Sitting Cuties plushies are $10.99 regardless of size, so getting one free with the game isn't a bad deal.
Fans in the UK also have the option to preorder from My Nintendo Store, which is offering a steelbook and an Arceus figurine as preorder bonuses. Amazon UK might have the best physical preorder bonus, offering a steelbook and a replica of a Hisuian Pokeball advertised as a "Pokeball cartridge."
Once it gets closer to launch, other retailers will likely start announcing more physical preorder bonuses for Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, and Target all have retailer-exclusive bonuses for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, so once that launch is out of the way there will probably be even more options for Arceus.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus releases on January 28, 2022, for Nintendo Switch.