During the latest Pokémon Presents stream, Game Freak announced that Pokémon Legends: Z-A would be the next title in the long-running franchise. The game takes place within Lumiose City, which was introduced in Pokémon X and Y on Nintendo 3DS. Other than that, all we know about the next Pokémon Legends game is that it’s coming in 2025, which got us thinking that it could be a perfect Nintendo Switch 2 launch title.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus was a breath of fresh air when it launched on the Switch in 2022. At long last, the world of Pokémon was wide open for players to explore, and the more high-octane action won over long-time fans and newcomers alike.
The biggest knock against that game was its poor performance on the Switch. It’s certainly not the most graphically demanding game the Switch has ever seen, and yet texture and geometry pop-in, mediocre draw distance, and frame rate drops plague Arceus.
Do you know what might smooth out some of those rough edges and allow Pokémon developer Game Freak to build a more visually impressive and detailed world for Pokémon Legends: Z-A? A new console with a more powerful chipset!
In a press release, The Pokémon Company noted that Pokémon Legends: Z-A “will be released worldwide for the Nintendo Switch family of systems in 2025.” Fans started speculating wildly as soon as they saw the word “systems,” but it’s worth noting that this is how Nintendo refers to the three available Switch models on its website.
With that said, it’s hard not to speculate when the Switch 2 is reportedly launching in early 2025. There likely won’t be another Zelda ready for the Switch 2’s launch, as Tears of the Kingdom just came out nine months ago. We’ve heard next to nothing about a new 3D Mario game or the next Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is still being updated to this day.
Nintendo is undoubtedly sitting on some huge announcements (after all, it’s been over six years since Super Mario Odyssey launched and close to seven since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe arrived), but Pokémon Legends: Arceus sold over 14 million copies. A sequel with substantially better visuals and performance could be a system seller.