With the most recent Pokémon Presents presentation having come and gone, there's a lot for Pokémon fans to be excited about. The presentation was full of huge announcements, from news on Pokémon GO events to the many updates being made to other Pokémon mobile games. However, fans hoping for some major updates on Pokémon console games might have walked away from the event feeling disappointed.

Despite the surprise announcement of Pokémon Champions for Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, alongside the full reveal of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, not much was shared about what the future of the mainline Pokémon game series will entail. While disappointing, there's a chance that there's more news to come. In fact, given Game Freak's past history of major Pokémon gaming announcements and the imminent launch of a brand-new console, it's possible that some fans have been looking at the wrong event this entire time.

Pokémon Could Make An Appearance During The Switch 2 Direct

Nintendo Will Want To Boost The New Console's Appeal

It's possible that both Game Freak and Nintendo are gearing up for some huge Pokémon announcements during the Switch 2 Direct in April. There's no doubting the huge and almost insurmountable expectations being placed on Nintendo's latest console prior to its launch. The Switch 2 Direct will serve as a crucial event for Nintendo to prove that its newest hardware will be able to maintain the same consistent line-up of stellar first-party titles that was paramount to the original Switch's success.

Game Freak reserving news on potential Pokémon projects for the April Direct would certainly help to boost the Switch 2's overall appeal. The excitement that would be generated surrounding potential new Pokémon games, whether that could be the inevitable remake of Pokémon: Black & White, a cross-gen release of Legends: Z-A, or the introduction of Gen 10, might raise overall interest in the Switch 2. Plus, with the presentation likely to showcase multiple other titles, Pokémon's inclusion would better illustrate the Switch 2's huge library rather than if the series was absent.

Game Freak Has Reserved Bigger Pokémon Announcements In The Past

The Company Will Want To Save Its Biggest Reveals For A Larger Audience

Game Freak is certainly no stranger to using this tactic with its larger Pokémon game announcements. For example, during Nintendo's E3 showcase in 2017, Game Freak announced that production on Pokémon: Sword and Shield was underway for the Switch, despite the fact that a Pokémon Direct had been released just a week prior. With the greater attention the Switch was receiving at the time, largely thanks to its incredible success at launch, Sword & Shield's announcement would have received less attention during a separate event.

It should be noted that the initial announcement of Pokémon: Sword & Shield didn't include any gameplay details or what the title of the game was going to be. A full reveal of Sword & Shield was shown during a Pokémon Direct in February 2019.

It's clear that both Game Freak and the larger Pokémon Company in general have an understanding of the value in reserving these huge announcements for larger events. With the Switch 2 set to be one of the biggest gaming launches of the year, it's likely that the console's own dedicated Nintendo Direct will have a much larger audience than Pokémon Presents. It would make more sense for Game Freak to hold back its bigger Pokémon game announcements for the event, where it is likely to receive far more attention and create greater anticipation.

Of course, there's no way of telling whether Pokémon will actually make an appearance at the Switch 2 Direct in April, let alone if there will be reveals for currently unannounced titles at said event. However, given Game Freak and Nintendo's previous history with bigger Pokémon announcements alongside new hardware, there's certainly a chance that fans could receive some major news in the near future. Not only would an announcement at the Nintendo Direct generate more excitement for the Pokémon series, but it would also help to boost the Switch 2's appeal overall.

Source: The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel/YouTube