The Pokémon Company is bringing us a fresh new Pokémon game in 2026 that none of us were expecting. This new game breaks away from the series' established genre into new, cozy territory.
Now that the Pokémon Legends: Z-A release date has come and gone, we've got plenty of handy guides to help you out, including all the new Pokémon Legends: Z-A mystery gift codes, everything you need to know about the Pokémon Legends: Z-A Kalos starters, how to get and evolve Pokémon Legends: Z-A's Eevee, and more.
New Pokémon game release date
The new Pokémon game, Pokémon Pokopia, is set to release on Nintendo Switch 2 on March 5, 2026. Absolutely none of us saw this surprise spin-off title coming, but we're incredibly excited for it.
Pokémon Pokopia sees you play as a Ditto that transforms itself into a human, exploring an abandoned town, befriending Pokémon, using their moves, and restoring life to the area. It looks like a mixture of games like Minecraft, Dragon Quest Builders, Animal Crossing, and other cozy games that feature farming and the like.
Unlike Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Pokopia is a Nintendo Switch 2-exclusive, so if you want to get in on the cozy vibes, you might have to consider upgrading your console.
Beyond Pokémon Pokopia, there's also another new Pokémon game on the horizon called Pokémon Champions. Announced during the February 2025 Pokémon Presents, Pokémon Champions is a multiplayer game that focuses on "the battles you know and love from Pokémon games", and is set to arrive on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android sometime in 2026. Unfortunately, we don't have any further info on this game just yet, but we'll be sure to update this guide when we know more.
When is Pokémon Day 2026?
Like every year, Pokémon Day 2026 will take place on February 27. On this day, we usually see special events across all active Pokémon mobile games, as well as plenty of news and announcements for the coming year via streams and social media.
New Pokémon game gameplay
Pokémon Pokopia follows a similar gameplay loop to games like Animal Crossing, as you restore a dilapidated town to its former glory using Pokémon moves and with help from your friends. You begin by creating habitats for Pokémon to thrive in to bring more species to the area, and your mission only expands from there.
There are a few unique Pokémon in Pokopia that appear to be a type of regional variant exclusive to this game. You've got your guide, Professor Tangrowth, a pale Pikachu called Peakychu, an overgrown Snorlax called Mosslax, and an extra-talented Smeargle called Smearguru.
While you work to rebuild this town and sail the seas to bring back more Pokémon species, you can hang out with your friends in four-player co-op multiplayer, taking photos and helping with each other's projects.
If you want to know more, you can check out an extended look at the Pokémon Pokopia gameplay in the video above.
That's all we've got on the new Pokémon games. While you're here, be sure to check out our full Pokédex to help you catch 'em all, then head on over to our list of all Pokémon games in order or browse through our picks for the best Pokémon games for even more Poké-fun.