Pokémon Gen 9 is Coming Next Year, According to a Leaker

Pokémon fans have plenty to look forward to as it is already. On November 19, not only will Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl be released, but Pokémon Legends: Arceus, a new 3D rendition of the brand featuring semi-open world Pokémon collecting, will also be released on January 28. It seems that the Pokémon Company may also have no intentions of slowing down this break-neck pace during 2022. According to a leaker, a new Pokémon game, the 9th generation of the main series, will be released in 2022.

The information comes from the Twitter account Centro Leaks, which regularly posts Pokémon-related leaks but doesn’t give any sources or evidence. They have previously revealed correct leaks, making this possible leak significant. The 9th-generation Pokémon games are “far in development,” according to Centro Leaks, and will be released in 2022. There is no more information regarding the release available.

Not DLC.
Gen 9 is next in 2022.

— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 16, 2021

How Reliable are the Rumours?

Centro Leaks is obviously not a completely trustworthy source in this case. Nonetheless, it’s a fascinating prospect. If Game Freak had the foresight, the next Pokémon game would be released in late 2022, giving it plenty of time to produce DLC for Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Annual iterations aren’t out of the question for The Pokémon Company. Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!, Sword, and Shield were all released between 2016 and 2019. A year without Pokémon would feel very unusual at this point.

However, it appears that The Pokémon Company is speeding up the release of new titles in the core franchise. The Pokémon Company has a history of releasing many versions of the same game before moving on, such as Pokémon Yellow or Pokémon Crystal. Maybe concentrating on DLC rather than iterative releases has allowed for more frequent big game releases for the core franchise.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to validate Centro Leaks’ rumour at the moment, and official word is unlikely to arrive very soon. With large Pokémon game releases planned for November and January, as well as DLC, an announcement of a 9th generation Pokémon game set to premiere in 2022 is likely to be delayed until later in the year.

Another interesting element of this leak is that it may be linked to another intriguing rumour. Nintendo is expected to release a Nintendo Switch Pro system with 4K resolution in 2022, according to rumours. A new Pokémon game with 4K support would be a huge seller for the system. In one way or another, 2022 will be a highly intriguing year for fans of the Pokémon franchise.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will release this year on November 19th, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus will release on the January 28th. In the meantime, check out or store and browse our extensive range of Pokémon games and merchandise!