GameFreak is currently working on an open-world Pokémon game set in "feudal Sinnoh", according to a prominent insider and a number of screenshots that appear to have leaked online ahead of the official Pokémon Direct scheduled for later today.
Reddit user PracticalBrush12 has long been a reliable source of leaks. Most recently they predicted almost everything from the February Nintendo Direct, and also leaked the existence of the Diablo 2 remaster and a new class for Diablo 4 mere days before the official announcement at BlizzCon. They're now claiming that The Pokémon Company has two major games planned in the next few years: the long-rumoured Diamond & Pearl remakes are apparently being handled by a new studio, giving GameFreak time to work on a brand-new open-world adventure that's supposed to release in 2022.
"Hey guys, so the remakes are in weird chibi 3D, battles are just same as SwSh," the leaker writes. "Brilliant D and Shining P, this year, developed by ILCA not GF. Why? Because they are working on another game! It's... Open world. In "feudal" sinnoh. Year 2022 early for release."
Alleged footage of this open-world title has since been shared to Imgur and is doing the rounds on social media. It's unclear how much longer this will remain live, but it shows off a Pokémon game that looks much closer in tone and style to The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, and a huge leap forward from the disappointing open-world areas seen in Pokémon Sword & Shield.
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Despite looking like a radical departure for the series, PracticalBrush12 claims the new game will feature classic-style battles. They also stress that this is not Gen 9, but rather a spinoff or counterpart to the Diamond & Pearl remakes.
The Pokémon Direct is scheduled for 3pm (UK time) later today, so we don't have very long to wait until we know for sure whether this is the real deal. It's certainly looking legit at this point, and should please a lot of fans. Here's hoping. While we wait of the Direct to drop, why not check out our shiny new documentary all about the classic Trading Card Game?
Featured Image Credit: Nintendo