Nintendo and the Pokémon Company International announced today that the newest entries in the Pokémon series, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, will launch on November 18, 2022.
The ninth generation of Pokémon is being touted as the first open-world RPG in the series. Recent entries have incorporated more open-world elements, notably the Wild Area from 2019’s Sword and Shield, which is otherwise a more linear experience. While Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which released in February, included a quasi-open world, the upcoming release seems to take this development further. The games’ site promises that “the world of Pokémon has evolved” and that “you’re free to explore at your leisure and not in an order dictated by the story,” emphasizing the flexibility of the experience.
The newest games in the series will also incorporate local and online multiplayer. A press release noted that “Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet offer Trainers the opportunity to explore the various locations of the region with up to four players while also enjoying staple activities, such as trading and battling.” The press site for the games also offers more details about the three starter Pokémon, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly, as well as the games’ legendary Pokémon Koraidon and Miraidon, whose names mean “ancient” and “future, respectively.
The two new entries in the series were announced back in February, and a new trailer was released today. Digital preorders for Scarlet and Violet open today on the Nintendo eShop.