In 2021, the creature collector DokeV seemed like the next big thing that could finally compete with Pokémon. Five years later, developer Pearl Abyss has provided a release window. What is the current status of the game?
What kind of game was it again? If you are like me, you have probably almost forgotten about DokeV. Here’s a brief recap: Pearl Abyss, the developer behind the successful MMORPG Black Desert Online, announced three new games in 2019: Crimson Desert, PLAN 8, and DokeV, a creature-collecting MMO set in an open world. In it, we are supposed to collect Dokebi, creatures based on the Korean mythical beings “Dokkaebi”.
For the big gamescom trailer in 2021, the MMO label was dropped, and DokeV became an action-adventure. Back then, DokeV stood out mainly for its graphics and catchy K-Pop sound. You can watch the trailer again here:
There was something else
This Pokémon alternative has stuck in my mind for two main reasons. First, personally – I mean, who would have thought in 2021 that a Pokémon-like game could look like THIS? Second, professionally: I started as a freelancer at MeinMMO in mid-2022, just before DokeV was postponed indefinitely.
I remember thinking in my naivety at the time that the game would still be released soon, and I was excited to cover it. And then: nothing. For years, we hardly heard anything about DokeV, except that it had to take a backseat to its big brother Crimson Desert.
After the release in Spring 2026, Pearl Abyss suddenly remembered – and us – that there is still this creature collector in development. I must admit: By now, I had completely forgotten about the game and had written it off as “that will never come out.” And this, despite the fact that I had thought about it from time to time in the previous years.
In the current financial report, Pearl Abyss has now confirmed that DokeV is in active development alongside Plan 8 and is expected to be released in the second half of 2028.
I was really excited about the news at first because I remembered how much I wanted this game back then. However, when I re-watched the trailer for this article, I was a bit more cautious.
The graphics, which had amazed me back then, are still impressive, but they are no longer the unique selling point they once were. After all, a beautiful creature collector named Aniimo is on the horizon, and even Palworld looks quite nice now. And who knows how far the competition will have come in two years?
Still, I don’t want to completely write off DokeV yet. Pearl Abyss has just shown with Crimson Desert that they can actually release games that seemed unlikely and can achieve real success with them.
Moreover, while Pearl Abyss has distanced itself from the MMO label, that doesn’t mean DokeV will be purely single-player: there will be cooperative elements, such as joint battles against boss monsters. This could take the title in the currently promising direction of “something with MMO elements”. So, who knows, maybe DokeV will surprise us after all.
How do you feel? Are you still longing for a Pokémon alternative with photorealistic graphics, or have you long since mentally said goodbye to the game?
Fortunately, you don’t have to wait until 2028 to go monster hunting. The genre is currently booming. Here you will find 13 games to collect monsters that can compete with giants like Pokémon and Palworld. There’s definitely something for your taste.
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