A yr after the first one, a new leak of documents and production concepts has hit Recreation Freak and the contents are spreading throughout social media. The Pokémon developer has a number of upcoming video games within the works, together with a Technology X recreation, a Legends recreation set in Galar, and an MMO-style recreation that lets gamers discover a number of areas. However the leak isn’t simply in regards to the video games which can be on the way in which. We additionally realized a number of fascinating tidbits about older video games and the internal workings of the corporate. Whereas they might not be as thrilling as “Generation X games will feature procedurally generated worlds,” listed below are a number of takeaways.
Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC cost as much to make as a full game
I was pretty lukewarm on both of Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC expansions, but the Indigo Disk and Teal Mask were such big projects that they ended up costing as much as Pokémon Legends: Arceus‘ entire budget. According to the leaks, the add-ons sold around 6.15 million copies in the first 10 months, compared to the base Scarlet and Violet’s 27 million in gross sales. Arceus, in the meantime, moved roughly twice what the DLC did (14 million copies) at a better worth level, so Recreation Freak is seeking to cut back budgets for its DLC packs to make the enterprise mannequin extra sustainable.
Improvement Budgets:
– SV DLC: 500 million yen
– Legends 2/ZA: 2 billion yen
– Winds/Waves: 3 billion yen— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 13, 2025
One other fascinating truth about Scarlet and Violet’s DLC is that whereas the ultimate product ended up happening in Kitkami and the Blueberry Academy in Unova (Black and White), the unique plan was to set them in Kalos (X and Y/Legends: Z-A) and Alola (Solar and Moon).
The Pokémon Scarlet/Violet DLC was initially planed to be set in Kalos and Alola.
We ended up getting Kitakami and Unova. pic.twitter.com/V0gWImY9kB
— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 13, 2025
One of many unique 151 almost acquired a Gigantamax type
An enormous a part of this leak was a swath of idea artwork for Pokémon Sword and Defend. The 2019 Change video games launched a brand new battle gimmick referred to as Dynamaxing that permits gamers to briefly remodel their monsters into highly effective kaijus below sure circumstances. Each Pokémon may use this system, however a choose few have been capable of tackle new varieties solely, referred to as Gigantamax varieties, as soon as they grew to the scale of a skyscraper. One of many unique 151 Pokémon, the poison-type monster Nidoking, was in some unspecified time in the future in improvement going to have one in all these varieties. He would have sported a crimson crown and beard, in addition to a cape on his again. It might have actually leaned into the “king” a part of the Pokémon’s title, but it surely was scrapped. It’s unknown if its feminine counterpart, Nidoqueen, would have additionally obtained the same type.
— (Not) Centro Leaks (@CentroLeaks_alt) October 13, 2025
Group Star had a a lot totally different look
Group Star, the antagonistic staff in Scarlet and Violet, is a gaggle of pupil outcasts who determined to show all their anger on their fellow classmates. However it seems just like the group was fairly totally different within the early idea phases. Leaked idea artwork exhibits a number of grownup leaders in Group Star, somewhat than the school-aged crew we ended up going through in 2022. Some design motifs survived the iteration course of, similar to every member having a float/automobile they pilot that caters to their totally different aesthetics, however total, it looks as if Group Star would have had a a lot totally different position if this model of the group had survived. One member has a biker/monster truck theme, one other has a Wailmer-run boat, and there’s additionally a cunty-ass automotive being held up by a number of Togekiss. It seems like this might have been piloted by a dapper male character, and I want I may have met this queen.
— (Not) Centro Leaks (@CentroLeaks_alt) October 13, 2025
There’s no Black and White remake in improvement…but
Recreation Freak has been placing out remakes of its outdated Pokémon video games in chronological order, and provided that the Sensible Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes introduced the Technology IV video games to the Change in 2021, followers have been speculating for years {that a} remake of Gen V’s Black and White is imminent. Nicely, that doesn’t appear to be the case. At the very least, not but. The paperwork within the leak make word of what the staff desires for a future remake, but it surely’s not at present listed on any of Recreation Freak’s pipelines. One other developer may tackle the mission like ILCA did for BDSP, however for proper now, I believe we are able to safely assume that an eventual Black and White remake is a methods down the road.
Recreation Freak almost made a Pokéwalker cell app
Recreation Freak had plans to create a PokéWalker app that may be suitable with Sword and Defend. This may have allowed you to take your Pokémon with you in your telephone, play minigames, and even catch new monsters to ship to your copy of Sword or Defend. The title “Pokéwalker” initially referred to a peripheral that was first launched again in HeartGold and SoulSilver as a pedometer you might clip onto your garments or bag, and was primarily a digital pet suitable with the DS video games. It appears like this might have served a number of the identical operate, however with out the manufacturing prices.
— (Not) Centro Leaks (@CentroLeaks_alt) October 13, 2025
We virtually acquired not one, however two Johto Legends video games
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the second recreation within the Legends subseries, and is ready within the modern-day. Earlier than Recreation Freak determined to take us again to Kalos, it was contemplating going to Johto, the area from Gold and Silver. The thought was to have two video games, Legends: Ho-Oh and Legends: Lugia, somewhat than simply the lone recreation like Arceus and Z-A have been. Like Arceus, these video games would have been a interval piece with a protagonist shot via time into historic Johto and seeing the beginnings of Pokémon trainers. Hopefully Recreation Freak revisits the concept down the road, however we do know from the leaks the following Legends recreation might be set in Galar.
“Pokémon Legends: Ho-Oh / Lugia” (sure there have been 2 variations for this one)
2024 marks the twenty fifth anniversary of Gold and Silver.
A historic episode set up to now of the Gold and Silver period — “Pokémon: Tales of Then and Now.”
Goals to be the final word type of the Legends sequence.… https://t.co/vDxNJBdnfL
— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 13, 2025
Drama behind the scenes
Among the paperwork seek advice from inside politics at Recreation Freak, together with long-time sequence director Junichi Masuda being “banned” from directing mainline games for a time period. In response to translations of Recreation Freak personnel paperwork, workers thought-about the interval as much as Black and White to be largely dominated by Masuda and felt nobody within the firm may oppose him, resulting in a “concentration of power” and disorganization throughout the studio. This ultimately led to an argument between Masuda and character artist Ken Sugimori through the X and Y period, finally ensuing within the firm’s resolution to take away Masuda from the director’s chair. Masuda has since stayed on as a producer and supervisor of mainline video games, and was capable of direct the remakes Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee and BDSP. In 2022, Masuda left Recreation Freak for a job on the wider Pokémon Firm, the place he acts as Chief Inventive Fellow.
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Extra information is coming from this leak as we communicate, so there may nonetheless be some main bombshells to return. However for now, we have now a reasonably good image of what’s coming after Pokémon Legends: Z-A launches on Change and Change 2 on October 16.
