Summary

  • Pokemon fans should keep an eye on October 4.
  • October 4 marks the first anniversary of Detective Pikachu Returns.
  • An official Pokemon account teased that there may be news to share on that day.

It seems as though some Pokemon-related news could be happening on Friday, October 4, so franchise fans should keep an eye out. Pokemon is one of the biggest entertainment franchises of all time, and so it makes sense that new content is released on a constant basis. Pokemon fans always have new cards to buy, shows to watch, and new games to play.

The next Pokemon video game is scheduled to release on October 30 in the form of Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, while Pokemon Legends: Z-A is in development for the Nintendo Switch with a 2025 release planned. It seems that another Pokemon video game announcement of some kind could be happening in the relatively near future, and it will apparently be tied to the Detective Pikachu spin-off series.

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An official Pokemon account on Twitter recently pointed out that October 4 marks the first anniversary of Detective Pikachu Returns, the Switch sequel to the original 3DS game. The tweet teased that there may be "some exciting news" to share on that day, presumably related to Detective Pikachu Returns, but it's really anyone's guess as to what that may be. It seems unlikely that a sequel will be announced, but maybe fans will be treated to a free update or paid DLC of some sort. The news could also be nothing that substantial, and so Pokemon fans should definitely keep their expectations in check.

The original Detective Pikachu game was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2018. A narrative-driven adventure game, Detective Pikachu has more in common with something like Ace Attorney than it does with traditional Pokemon games, but it has still proven popular enough to justify the Switch sequel and even a feature film adaptation.

The Detective Pikachu movie was the first attempt at a live-action Pokemon film. Detective Pikachu earned mostly positive reviews from critics and grossed over $450 million against a $150 million budget. There were expectations for a Pokemon live-action movie to do a lot better than that, but one has to imagine that the Detective Pikachu branding is ultimately what held it back in the long run. Even so, there are reportedly plans for a Detective Pikachu sequel, though that has yet to materialize.

There's a possibility that the news on October 4 is related to the long-awaited Detective Pikachu movie sequel, but fans shouldn't hold their breath. Whatever the announcement on October 4 is, it seems like it's directly related to Detective Pikachu Returns on the Nintendo Switch. Pokemon fans will just have to keep an eye on October 4 to see what's in store.

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Detective Pikachu Returns Tag Page Cover Art

Detective Pikachu Returns
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Adventure
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Systems
super greyscale 8-bit logo
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Top Critic Avg: 66 /100 Critics Rec: 26%
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Released
October 6, 2023
ESRB
e
Developer(s)
Creatures Inc.
Publisher(s)
Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
Engine
Unity
Franchise
Pokemon
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WHERE TO PLAY

PHYSICAL
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Solve mysteries with Detective Pikachu in this new Pokémon adventure
In this new Pokémon game for the Nintendo Switch™ system, unravel a series of mysteries across Ryme City with a tough-talking, coffee-loving Pikachu and his human partner, Tim Goodman. When a jewel theft occurs, the case sets this great detective duo down a path filled with mystery. Why did Tim’s father, Harry, go missing? What is causing the Pokémon-related incidents around Ryme City? Answer these questions and more by searching for clues, investigating scenes, and using your case notebook to make deductions.

Get help from Pokémon! Talk directly with Pokémon to gain information and get to know their distinct personalities.

Take a closer look: Search for clues, investigate scenes, and use your case notebook to make deductions.

Teamwork: Use some Pokémon’s special skills, like Growlithe’s sharp sense of smell, to uncover clues.

Platform(s)
Switch
Genre(s)
Adventure
How Long To Beat
7 Hours
OpenCritic Rating
Fair