Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Announced, New Gen 9 Pokemon Games

The Pokemon Company has announced Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, new Pokemon games that formally introduce players to a brand new region and serve to kick off a brand new generation of Pokemon games. The games were announced at the end of today's Pokemon Presents. Few details about the game were provided, other than that it will take place in a new region and will feature new starter Pokemon (seen below). The new games will be released in late 2022. 

The Pokemon Company has reserved Pokemon Day, the anniversary of Pokemon Red and Green's initial launch in Japan, as the day to make major Pokemon announcements. Pokemon Sun and Moon were announced on Pokemon Day 2016, while Pokemon Sword and Shield were announced on Pokemon Day 2019. Both Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and Pokemon Legends: Arceus were announced on Pokemon Day 2021. 

While fans have argued over what constitutes a new "generation" of Pokemon games, the generally held description is that a new generation is kicked off when a Pokemon game introduces a brand new region. While Pokemon Legends: Arceus introduced players to the Hisui region, that region is technically just a version of the Sinnoh region from a previous era instead of a brand new Pokemon game. 

It seems that the new Pokemon games are a return to the "classic" style of Pokemon game most recently seen in Pokemon Sword and Shield, with turn-based battles on a separate screen from the overworld map that players explore. This style of Pokemon game has been refined from Pokemon Red and Blue all the way to Pokemon Sword and Shield with various improvements added like Pokemon appearing in the overworld map and a more free-moving experience with large Wild Areas. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl featured a more retro-version of the Pokemon game formula with its return to chibi-style graphics reminiscent of the original pixel artwork and the use of a grid map design. Pokemon Legends: Arceus broke the mold entirely with a more open-world system that emphasized stealth and exploration over repetitive battling. 

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will be released later this year.