Pokémon is coming as the main installment of the RPG series to the Nintendo Switch. What is really known so far about the release date, mechanics, or the game world? Are we expecting a full-fledged Pokémon MMO?

What is it about? At E3 2017, Game Freak officially confirmed that a main installment of the popular Pokémon RPG series would be coming to the Nintendo Switch. Since this announcement, the rumor mill has been boiling over. Below is a breakdown of the confirmed information and unconfirmed rumors that frequently arise.

This article originally appeared on May 3 and is continuously updated with the latest information.

The facts: What do we really know about Pokémon Switch?

So far, Game Freak and the Pokémon Company have mostly remained silent. Only a few facts are known:

• Main installment: Pokémon Switch will be a main installment of the RPG series. This was confirmed by Game Freak at E3 2017.
• No official but planned release date: The release of Pokémon Switch is planned for “2018 or later.” This was confirmed in the latest Nintendo financial report. It was also stated in Game Freak’s financial report.

That is actually all that is known for certain. Since the release date of 2018 or “later” is mentioned, it is likely that they are aiming for the end of 2018 / beginning of 2019. It should be noted that this is merely a plan and not a confirmed release date!

The leaks: Where do they come from and what’s true?

In contrast to the officially confirmed information, of which there are only a few, a lot of rumors about Pokémon Switch are circulating. Some have emerged from seemingly reliable sources, or questionable “insiders” have come forward.

Pokémon Let’s Go! – Does a logo announce the Yellow Remake?

On 4Chan, an image was released that allegedly shows a logo for “Pokémon Let’s Go!” The game is traditionally set to be released on the Switch with two versions:

• Pokémon Let’s Go! Pikachu Edition
• Pokémon Let’s Go! Eevee Edition

A previous 4Chan leak from March wanted to know more about the gameplay: According to this, Pokémon Let’s Go! is a remake of Pokémon Yellow. That was the Gameboy edition in which Pikachu followed the player. The catching of Pokémon is said to work similarly to the mobile game Pokémon GO. 

The Switch is perfectly suited for playing outdoors and on the go. A mix of the mobile version and the classic handheld RPG would actually make sense here.

A blog entry seems to support the rumor: Nintendo insider Emely Rogers published an article, in which she writes about Pokémon Switch. The reveal is said to take place later in May according to Rogers. She believes that the title of the games could raise skepticism among fans. Furthermore, Rogers emphasizes that Pokémon GO could play a significant role in the future of the Pokémon series.

Domains for “Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu / Eevee” have now been registered: The registration was done by the same company that also registered Pokémon Sun and Moon.

This rumor seems to become more plausible with each new piece of information. Fans even suspect an announcement in the coming days.

Pokémon Switch as a Kanto Remake: Back to Red and Blue?

An extremely blurry image of a Lapras surfaced in March in the fan magazine Pokéjungle. This image was meant to suggest that Pokémon Switch would take us back to Kanto. Kanto is the first region of the RPG series, where many trainers began their journey with Pokémon Red and Blue on the Gameboy about 20 years ago.

Fans claimed to recognize Route 21 in the lower image, leading to the Cinnabar Islands. This created the rumor that the image was a Pokémon Switch leak. However, Pokéjungle had to remove this image, and it could be any screen. Perhaps from Pokémon X/Y.

Pokémon Stars: A Spin-Off of Sun and Moon for the Switch?

Pokémon has always released a spin-off of its various RPG titles. This was the case with Pokémon Red/Blue having the Yellow version, or Pokémon Diamond/Pearl having the Platinum version.

Eurogamer believed that Pokémon Stars would be a spin-off of the titles Sun and Moon. Furthermore, it was suspected that this spin-off would be the announced RPG title for the Switch. However, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were released as a spin-off for the Nintendo 3DS. What exactly will become of the Pokémon Stars project and what it will entail is still up in the air.

Nintendo Patent Suggests Interactive Trading Cards: Are They for Pokémon Switch?

Nintendo filed a patent that presumably relates to the Pokémon franchise. It involves trading cards that can interact with the console. The cards are said to show a character against a background, which can change its color and pattern in response to a signal.

The gameplay associated with the cards was described by Nintendo in a way that suggests a connection to Pokémon is likely:

• Players catch wild monsters
• They control a character
• Players can train the characters and increase their level
• Characters can evolve

Whether there is a connection to the announced RPG for the Nintendo Switch is, however, entirely unknown. 

Spanish Magazine Predicts Gen 8: New Pokémon for the Switch?

The Spanish edition of the official Nintendo magazine had a small report about Pokémon Switch, announcing Generation 8. A new generation would mean new Pokémon and also a new area. In the article of the magazine, it stated something like…

“… Pokémon would only be associated with handheld consoles. Now, with the 8th generation, Pokémon would transition to home consoles. Game Freak and the Pokémon Company are rethinking the saga to surprise with new mechanics, either in 2018 or later.”

Even though this is an official Nintendo magazine, it has a history of false claims. This magazine is also the only one that has mentioned Generation 8 so far. Therefore, Generation 8 remains merely a rumor.

Story, Mechanics, New Formula: What Other Speculations Exist?

Some Chinese sources reportedly found out even more about Pokémon Switch. The information comes from the same sources that predicted Team Rainbow Rocket for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, a villain organization in the titles.

What the sources apparently want to reveal about Pokémon Switch: 

• The Chinese localization team is said to have completed the translation of the game script
• No new Mega Evolutions are supposed to exist.
• Z-Moves are returning and are supposed to be activated via motion control of the Joy-Cons
• The main story is supposed to showcase the conflict between tradition and innovation
• The region is supposed to be inspired by Spain or Italy

CEO of the Pokémon Company Talks About Multiplayer Potential: MMO Plans for the Switch?

The previous main installments of the RPG series were single-player games. An interview between the CEO of the Pokémon Company and Bloomberg however, revealed that the Nintendo Switch could change that. This is why rumors about a Pokémon MMO on the Switch arose.

Ishihara emphasized in the interview that the Switch is an opportunity to create a deep Pokémon experience with high eloquence. On the TV, completely new graphics and sounds could be possible. “So far, the [Pokémon] games were designed for people who could play 1vs1. But now it is possible to go home and play with anyone [worldwide, online]. How do we approach these topics, and how do we make it as easy as possible?” said Ishihara. This could hint at an online or at least local multiplayer.

Whether Ishihara hinted at plans for a Pokémon MMO on the Switch is purely a matter of interpretation and speculation regarding the interview. Ultimately, the development team has only previously developed for handhelds and is now venturing into new dimensions on the Switch.

What would you like to see for Pokémon on the Nintendo Switch and do you believe any of the rumors? 

More on the topic

Could Pokémon Switch become a full-fledged MMO? The potential is there!

von Leya Jankowski

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The developer and publisher Little Orbit has acquired the multiplayer shooter All-Points Bulletin: Reloaded (APB) and is now planning to revive the virtually dead game APB. Some fans are glad, others are skeptical, and yet others approach it with gallows humor.

After it was already reanimated once by Reloaded Games, it seemed like APB: Reloaded was now experiencing its final months before the ultimate shutdown.

The player count kept dwindling, the last update was released according to Steam in May 2016, and Reloaded Games did not respond to the community’s questions. But now a rescue seems to be on the horizon.

Doomed to die?

What is APB: Reloaded? The multiplayer shooter from Realtime Worlds is set in the fictional city of Sao Paro, where the two factions of police and criminals engage in fierce battles for control over the city. This forms the basic principle of APB: Reloaded.

Players must choose a side and are given various tasks throughout the game that relate to their faction. For example, a group of criminals might rob a store, and the opposing group of police must prevent them from doing so.

Players have access to a vast arsenal of weapons, vehicles, clothes, etc., with which they can customize their character down to the smallest detail.

However, the game was a disaster for the original developer Realtime Worlds, receiving rather low ratings of about 6/10 to 7/10 points. 

The sales figures were too low, leading to APB being bought by Reloaded Games and turned into a free-to-play model.

From Kung Fu Panda to multiplayer shooters

Who is Little Orbit? For having been active in the gaming industry for over 10 years, the publisher named “Little Orbit” is not particularly well-known.

The company has primarily focused on licensed games such as Kung Fu Panda or Adventure Time games in the past, but according to CEO Matthew Scott, that is now over.

As the owner of the IP of APB: Reloaded, Little Orbit is now its own master and does not have to adhere to the guidelines and deadlines of the license holders. This would lift a great burden off the development team, Scott said.

With the acquisition of titles like APB: Reloaded, as well as the Kickstarter Tactic RPG Unsung Story, Little Orbit now wants to become the publisher they always wanted to be.

A big undertaking for a small publisher

What are the problems of APB? 

A significant portion of the problems was directly caused by the previous developer Reloaded Games after APB went free-to-play.

These include primarily:

• Terrible customer support
• Doubtful methods of banning that allow players to “buy back” their banned accounts
• Ineffective anti-cheating software
• Pay-to-win gameplay system

On top of that, the game suffered from poor optimization issues with memory leaks and FPS drops.

According to the statement from the CEO of Little Orbit, it partly runs on two different engines: the Unreal Engine 3 and 3.5. The list goes on, but steps are now being taken to address these issues gradually.

What measures are planned? Little Orbit has big plans for APB: Reloaded and the GamersFirst platform.

In an open letter to the APB community on GamersFirst.com, CEO Matthew Scott outlined some of the already planned updates and improvements the team plans to start implementing soon.

Primarily, Little Orbit wants to establish stable contact with the player base. The first steps will be as follows:

• Cleaning and restructuring the social media channels of APB
• Implementation of new official forums
• Updating the user agreement and privacy policies
• New behavior rules for the forums
• Updating the general banning and cheating policies

Scott even joined the unofficial Discord server of the APB community and answered some players’ questions there.

Within the next 30 days, a rough roadmap for the updates is to be established, giving the community a general idea of which changes are coming when.

The main goal is to keep the players consistently updated with live updates. This includes, among other things:

• Balance changes for Enforcers and Criminals, the two factions in the game
• Standardization of the PC version on Unreal Engine 3.5 and subsequent transition to Unreal Engine 4
• Improvement of the matchmaking system
• Additional game modes
• Maps
• Outfits
• Weapons
• And vehicles

Over time, additional games from GamersFirst will be added to APB: Reloaded, but Little Orbit is in no hurry in that regard. The gaming platform is to grow slowly and organically.

A mix of hope, skepticism, and cynicism

What does the community say? Although APB: Reloaded has shrunk over the unfortunate years, it still has a loyal community that continues to support the game.

The players reacted mixed to the purchase of the game and the open letter from the CEO.

After the strong negative experiences with the previous developer Reloaded Games, who turned APB: Reloaded into a “cash cow,” many reacted cynically or at least skeptically.

Thus, the user DecadentMadness wrote on Reddit “LOL HEY GUYS THE NEW ENGINE IS COMING!”, as a jab at the eternal promises from Reloaded Games to transition the game to Unreal Engine 4.

There were also several jokes about a Battle Royale mode, as a quick cash grab option that would disappear after a few months and ruin APB for good.

However, another part of the players is somewhat more hopeful.

Since the release of the open letter, various threads with improvement suggestions have already emerged on Reddit, and fans have also addressed questions and suggestions to the CEO of Little Orbit in the unofficial Discord.

This part of the community takes Scott at his word that communication will improve from now on and that their feedback will be heard.

The hopes are that the new developer can indeed save APB: Reloaded from complete ruin.

Will the updates be sufficient? The big question arising from such a large undertaking is whether Little Orbit has not bitten off more than it can chew. Many voices in the community therefore say that the publisher must be crazy to buy a dying game like APB: Reloaded.

Especially in the shooter market, the competition from established titles like Fortnite, GTA 5, and Overwatch is extremely strong.

Little Orbit will therefore have to find something that sets APB: Reloaded apart from the gray mass in the long term and makes it interesting for new players.

Against these best MMOs, APB: Reloaded will have to hold its ground:

The best MMOs of 2018 and why they rock in their genre!

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