Rumours about Pokémon Switch are a dime a dozen. We know that Pokémon Switch is in development, but beyond that, information is scarce.
However, one clever ResetEra user has developed an interesting theory. They claim that based on their theory, Nintendo will announce Pokémon Switch this month.
More specifically, within the next eight days, by April 26.
Pokémon Switch
Phantom Thief believes they can apply such a specific time frame to the Pokémon Switch announcement based on several factors.
- Pokémon Switch is the only upcoming Switch game with a nebulous, non-specific release date
- The anime has almost completed its run using Generation Seven material
- There are no new Generation 7 Pokémon to be announced
- Nintendo’s financial report will be released on April 26, 2018
The reasoning regarding the nebulous release date and finishing up of Gen 7 material is self-explanatory. If Nintendo intends to release Pokémon Switch in 2018, it will need to make an announcement shortly.
That goes for the anime as well. If no new game has been announced or revealed, the anime will either resort to new storylines based on existing Pokémon or branch off on its own.
Neither is ideal. But, neither mean that Pokémon Switch is definitely being released this year. Let alone announced in the next eight days. The reasoning behind these ideas does lend credence to the theory, but nothing is concrete.
Nintendo’s Financial Report
As noted in Phantom Thief’s theory, Nintendo’s Financial Report is due on April 26. As such, it will need to outline its planned stable of games for this financial year in the report.
Given that we know Pokémon Switch is in development and that Nintendo intends on selling 20 million Switch units this year, it just makes sense for Pokémon Switch to be revealed.
The financial report is used to give investors confidence and what better way to reassure them than by announcing that both Smash Bros and Pokémon Switch will be released in 2018.
As Phantom Thief notes, it makes a lot of sense for Nintendo to reveal Pokémon Switch before the April 26 financial report, otherwise, it would be announcing the game via the report. A consumer announcement sometime before the financial report would make a lot more sense.
According to Phantom Thief, a free space currently occupies a space on the Japanese Nintendo Direct Archive and a Pokémon Direct was removed to make the space.
The Past Informs the Future
Previous Pokémon games have been announced as late as May and June, but brand-new entries in the franchise are usually announced earlier. Additionally, Pokémon titles are not usually announced at E3. As Phantom Thief says Pokémon games;
Have thus far never debuted at E3- The Pokemon Company usually likes to do its own thing.
Everything Phantom Thief speculates about could be entirely wrong, but precedence and the past announcement of Pokémon games suggests an announcement is imminent. Coupled with the upcoming financial report, there does seem to be some validity to the theory.
Finally, in a recent issue of The Official Nintendo Magazine in Spain talks about Generation Eight for Pokémon.
https://twitter.com/raqueruu/status/985282738029826050
Thanks to Google Translate, the section about Pokémon reads;
After a lifetime associated with portable consoles, the canonical side of Pokemon will jump to desktop with its eighth generation. Game Freak and The Pokemon Company are rethinking the saga to surprise with new mechanics either in 2018 or later.
The description including the eighth generation, new mechanics and surprises for fans make it seem like Pokémon Switch will be designed to impress. Given that it’s the first Pokémon on a console, it gives the developers a lot of freedom and a lot of room to experiment.
Unfortunatley, everything regarding Pokémon Switch remains speculation until Nintendo finally puts us out of our misery and announces the game properly.
Here’s hoping it’s sooner rather than later.
