FAKE: Pokémon “Stars” Leaks (UPDATE)

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FAKE ALERT: The information contained in this post has now been debunked!

It’s that time again folks! A Pokémon Direct has just been announced for tomorrow and Pokémon fans are frantically speculating over what the 8 minute broadcast will announce. Meanwhile, some users online have begun posting information claiming to have insider knowledge on the upcoming game.

One user on 4chan posted the following information regarding the game:

  • The games will be available for both 3DS and Switch and the two versions can communicate with each other
  • The above image shows Gladion in his new outfit
  • Alola will be the setting for the game and Kanto will not make an appearance
  • Characters from Sun & Moon will appear and have grown up since we last saw them
  • Gladion now runs the Aether Paradise
  • Gyms are now present in Alola, with Trials no longer existing
  • No new Pokémon or Mega Evolutions
  • Necrozma receives a new form
  • New exclusive Z-Moves
  • Plot of the game is heavily focused on past events and will feature many cutscenes
  • The game will explain how Necrozma fell into our world
  • Characters are called Kaosu and Hoshi

CONFIRMED FAKE: In addition to the above supposed “leaked” concept art was also posted online, show a number of reference poses for Gladion in his new getup. It has been confirmed the the screenshot and concept art are both an creations, consequently meaning the leaked information is also false. Art done by Italian artist Emdy.

As always with rumors and “leaks” we urge our readers to take this information cautiously. We do not claim it to be real and have chosen to post it for discussion purposes. We believe these images and information are 100% false. That said, how would our readers feel if this did turn out to be true? Is it something you like to see in a Sun & Moon follow-up game? Let us know in the comments below!

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1,539 thoughts on “FAKE: Pokémon “Stars” Leaks (UPDATE)”

  1. First

    Man I really missed these rumor articles 😛
    And I kinda wish this is true but just because Gladion looks cute in this Outfit.

    And I have to admit that if this is fake then is a really well made fake :0

    Reply

    • It may very well be fake, but it certainly does not LOOK fake provided that the art style is similar to other concept art by GF.

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  5. A little iffy on this one. The concept art for an older Gladion looks somewhat legit. Yet, the screenshot leaves a lot to be desired. I guess I’ll just wait for Thursday!

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  7. I buy the concept art. The gameplay photo tho, nah. Highly doubt they’ll simply upscale 3DS assets for the Switch version.

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    • The thing is though that a switch version would just be that. An upscaled version. Their simply hasn’t been enough time, nor the staff, to make something truly new for the switch. GF hasn’t really hid either of these points.

      But even then I don’t buy the concept art. Its well made, but it does look fake.

      Reply

      • “Their simply hasn’t been enough time, not the staff, to.make something truly new for the Switch.” Do you know how large GameFreak is at this point? According to the rumour from EuroGamer, they were developing Stars along side Sun/Moon. It’s going to have better textures and higher quality assets for the Switch due to the massive increase in power compared to the 3DS. A port would be how Monster Hunter XX looks on the Switch. I fully support the EuroGamer rumour as they have gotten a lot right about the Switch.

        Reply

        • Yes according to the RUMOR from Eurogamer its been in development along side it. That would make sense if it were purely a 3DS game. That said better textures and quality assets don’t really mean much. It’ll look better then the 3DS version, but not by that much. Just better looking versions of the same models, not brand new models that would take advantage of the newer hardware. What we do know for certain though is that GF’s has been hiring on new staff who are familiar with working on the Wii U and Vita a few months back(hence why I said the lack of staff).

          And even then that’s ignoring pretty much every other aspect that releasing a game on the switch isn’t in their best interest right now. While its demand is sky high, Nintendo can’t meet demands right now, meaning that any main series pokemon game right now would undersell compared to previous ones simply because their aren’t enough consoles out their yet. Give it a year or and it would be a safer investment for them. As well that also leads to the pricing issue, given that likely trying to make a game with improved assets(which again I don’t think they would have enough time to do, and that also assumes that they were given detailed knowledge about the Switch to develop around it) would likely mean that the game would be given a console games price, making it more expensive then the 3DS version as is rumored here, and in turn that can also hurt sales since better visuals really isn’t going to be enough for most people to justify if the content is virtually the same. Heck it could very likely bring up the problem that the game was intended to be played as a handheld game(and paced as such), leading to people complaining that its too short, or certain parts feel rushed because once on the switch the game has to be judged as a home console game.

          But we’ll see tomorrow. I truly don’t think it to be real, and as we’ve scene plenty of times before rumors from trusted resources do get things wrong.

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          • The game is supposed to release in the Fall. Nintendo has requested more Switches for the period of time (Fall between Winter) to support the sales of the rumoured Pokemon Stars and Super Mario Odyssey. No matter when the game releases, demand for Switch consoles would just increase! It would seriously help the system late 2017 to early/mid 2018. It’s going to continue to sell well as Nintendo produces more Switch consoles. Just look at Sun and Moon continuing to sell well on the 3DS to this day.

            Anyways, if the game ended up costing $60 dollars, why does it matter? I believe Monster Hunter XX is going to be around $55 to $60 in yen. They could just make the game cost $50 depending on the return they need for development. Also, they could just be hiring staffers for different projects or new Pokemon titles. GameFreak isn’t small and have more than enough resources to develop a game in time. Look at how quickly X/Y and OR/AS came out. That should be enough of an example.

          • My problem with releasing both is that it ultimately cannibalizes the sales of both Super Mario Odyssey and Pokemon in that case. You can’t assume that people are going to be willing to buy both. One can’t assume that people are going to be willing too be able to buy both, and as such it seems like an unneeded risk for Nintendo who are known for careful calculation with their releases. And even then the initial release rumors of Stars had it slatted for a late summer release and then pushed back to Fall, which did hurt it’s reliability.

            The issue with cost though is one of value. To justify that console price point you need to make sure their’s enough content in it to make people feel its worth their money, especially if you have a 3DS release along side it. With Monster Hunter(ignoring that the game sells inconceivably well in Japan) it’s safe to assume that it’ll be getting new content and that its not the same base game with slightly better graphics and nothing else. It’ll have new hunts, or a new feature or something to make it worth picking up for people. Pokemon on the other hand doesn’t really have an easy time with that. You really can’t add in features since people will immediately feel that your selling them an inferior game or locking away new content behind a near $400 pay wall for people. At the same time they could try the smash 4 route of each version having unique features, but the problem then is that if one version’s features are clearly better then the other’s then people will complain that they bought the interior version. Really I don’t see a good way that they could support both consoles with a release, and at the same time I can’t see them only wanting to support the Switch since it has such a small market share right now and it would be incredibly stupid to ignore the market share of the 3DS.

            And your right. Game freak isn’t small. Its a very large studio with hundreds of employees. But it doesn’t have a ton of experience with console releases. Heck the closest console game we’ve seen from them lately was Giga Wrecker, and it is entirely possible that the new staff is to help out with a port of that on to the switch(as it would likely do well there). But with all that said, all of this debating is kinda pointless really. We’ll find out in less then 24 hours what Pokemon’s next game will be. If its Sinnoh remakes, cool. If its Stars, I’m not personally probably going to pick it up, but cool. If its on the switch I personally think that GF’s shooting themselves in the foot, but good for people that are happy with it. Let’s just agree to welcome things with open arms and hope for the best.

  8. I get they won’t include New Pokemon, but I hope if this is true there’ll be “new” Pokemon in the wild from previous generations that hadn’t been included in Sun/Moon.

    As for the Mega evolutions. Well Dang it!

    Reply

    • New Pokemon in the wild would mean expanding my Apricorn Ball collection even further. But I think Kurt might need to migrate to Alola now.

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  9. 1. The Aether Paradise should have been featured more (in reference to how they save pokemon and are an artificial habitat for endangered species).
    2. Gladion leading the Aether Paradise is a smart move, narratively speaking.
    3. No new pokemon or mega evolutions would be kind of pointless to me. Why would I drop forty bucks just to get new Z moves (which I dont care about), a new Necrozma form (when I don’t use legendaries) and to mash through a bunch of cutscenes.
    4. Getting rid of the trial system would be a huge step back for this region. I could see them keeping gyms for a diamond and pearl remake, but to get rid of them for Stars? No way.
    5. I get that there weren’t new pokemon in between diamond and pearl and platinum, or black and white and their sequels, but still, I would like to think that with such a low number of pokemon in Sun and Moon, that they could add some more. At least some more alolan forms.
    6. GF has really mixed up the sequel/ third game tradition with Black and White not following suit, X and Y not following Black and White or any pattern, but now that I’m writing this, a third game again would be “unexpected.”

    Let me know what you think! IM SUPER PUMPED REGARDLESS!

    Reply

      • I really wish that the games had focused more on nature. Having one team be evil and all about destruction, poison, etc. that could be contaminating and ruining the natural habitats, and another team that you work with to save pokemon and bring them to the paradise temporarily (like a zoo) would have been really cool.

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        • Imo they could have done that and still had the twist with Aether. Although it would have made Skull much more sinister and I don’t think that’s what they were all about. They are much more a family of delinquents than greedy destroyers.

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          • The problem for me really was that Team Skull just kind of dropped off. Guzma went with Lusamine and got freaked out, Plumeria apologized, Gladion was stuffed in. Eh

          • Guzma was also introduced really late and we didn’t get much on what he was about or development for him. Instead of a team leader he seemed like a top level underling for Lusamine.

          • I think Gladion is perhaps a deliberately underdeveloped character so he can have a major role in the next installment. But yeah, I hope the whole Guzma-Lusamine relationship was also deliberate and is somehow part of the plot and mystery of the next game because their relationship was riddled with major plot holes.

  10. I will be at the doctors when the direct airs, I hope I don’t miss too much of the speculation here :/

    I personally don’t really think the screenshot is real. The concept art does follow what we’ve seen before, which also makes it easier to fake. I am OK with a sequel game but to not add anything in the way of Pokemon or Megas when by now its’ somewhat expected feels a bit of a shame. One new form for one Legend and a few new Z-moves doesn’t really cut it for me, but perhaps we’ve been a bit spoiled in recent times.

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  11. Also, its so weird to only recognize Dicie here. Sorry to those of you who have been around as long or longer than me if I don’t remember your username. ANYWAYS, greetings and a warm hello from me! 🙂 Glad to be back!

    Reply

  12. It’s well made but 4chan nearly unanimously agrees its fake
    Plus, the details are too broad

    Reply

  14. Ok.. at first I was like .. no way. I’m not falling for this bs again! Also.. no new Pokemon.. they would have completely missed the point simply higher graphics and story. Buut, I’ve noticed this trend of those official looking pieces of art always being real. Sure a scammer could have caught on to this too by now.. but they look Really legit!

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  15. I like the artwork. +1
    I like the return of gyms. +5
    I like the compatibility between the Switch and 3ds versions. +1

    I hate that there are no new mega evolutions or new pokemon. -10

    I could not care less about z-moves. + 0

    If real I would rate this news as -3; fairly negative. I hope it is not true.

    At least we won’t have to wait long since the direct is in less than 24hrs, plus any more details revealed during e3 next week.

    Reply

  16. This is either a Necrozma game or kanto one
    Quote me on it
    And we’re going to get a lot of talking followed up by an ORAS announcement tier trailer

    Reply

  17. Woooooow! This sounds similar to what I thought it would be

    But I made either the best or worst decision of my life (this parts a repost)

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      • I asked my friend who is moving in less than a week to hang out but am nervous she’ll say no or something and I will miss my chance

        Reply

          • Oh I already did just nerve racking as she doesn’t respond right away and I’m building and jumping to conclusions and overwhelming my self

          • Yeah she most likely will say yes imo hopefully she’s free tomorrow (don’t know why I just hope so)

            And discovering she’s just moving states I can still try and keep a friendship

  20. Yeah I’m willing to bet this is fake. Sure it could be real, but I’m not feeling it. No real reason. Just not getting a good feeling from this. That in mind I also thought the start final stages were fake at first and look how that turned out. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow lol

    Reply

      • I actually thought the totems were quite difficult, harder than some recent gym battles.

        I’m hoping that, if this is fake, we get trials and then gyms post game.

        Reply

        • Ehh then again

          I got the better half of the deal as Wishiwashi wasn’t hard when you have a Poison Touch Grimer and the weaker helper

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          • Destroyed me once due to not thinking but it was easier when you have set strategies to counter Fairy type

          • My team fell hard to ghost, and that was the issue. Haunter was too annoying to deal with, and I couldn’t get off a quick toxic because of Disguise.

          • I remember using my Z-Move at the start of the battle, completely forgetting what its ability does lol

          • My brother used Incineroars and just as he did and it failed to hit I said “noooooo I just told you not to!”

          • I beat it with my Salandit before she evolved, after taking out most of the supports with Golisopods’ Sucker Punch.

      • I thought the Totems were great. You could say that the gyms are too easy for some people as well. At the end of the day Pokemon is more or less an easy game. It all depends on what level your Pokemon are at each benchmark. I just hope if we do go back to gyms they upgrade them to match how the trials were handled. I don’t want tie to stop every time we get to a gym. I want the world to feel like stuff i going on while I’m at the gyms. In all previous games the story comes to a screeching halt until you beat whatever gym you’re at. Sure the same can more or less be said about trials, but it didn’t feel that way in SM. they made sure to have events happen while you are doing the trials so that it doesn’t feel like nothing is happening just because you didn’t witness it first hand.

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        • I loved Totems but I like Gyms and mabey totems as side quests (my fan game if I can make z crystals will have Side totems in alot of places

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          • It also means we could have more challenging gyms with trainers having more Pokemon as you would have had the chance to get stronger before them. Then the Grand Trials can have something of a gym trail where you fight some of the Kahunas’ apprentices before fighting them.

          • I just want them top make gyms feel more interesting. the general idea is fine, but their insignificance to the over all story really irks me. The real reason for gyms is to make sure you’re the correct level for the next event……Have the gyms and their leaders do more outside of just being in a building and you could have a decent ting going

          • Like in my game they all have jobs and events (Like the first and third can be rebattled certain nights in the first town on stage)

          • Like how in your very first trial Team Skull shows up and messes with you even while you are doing the trial or(while it wasn’t a trial) when you’re on Ula’ula and you go after Team Skull and when you get back to your friends you find out Lillie has been taken. having stuff happen around the region that deviates from the norm of having all time stop while you do the gyms/whatever makes for a more robust story and helps build characters

        • I think it will be a tribute to her mother, showing the healing process between them. She would get it as a Cleffa and it would help her feel closer to her Mum whilst in Kanto. Also her Pokedoll she gives you is a Clefairy so she must like them still.

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          • Or it could be a symbol of her moving on from her mother’s influence. It’s clear that Lusamine controlled every aspect of her life, up to the way she dressed.

            I know I’m looking into it a bit too much, but I definitely get where you’re coming from.

    • I think Lillie will be the 4th professor in Sun and Moon (so that there are 1 per island); likely as the Professor that greets us at the beginning. She has worked closely with Kukui and Burnett who are really Lillie’s only parental figures.

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  24. 3rd point may be a typo
    Anyway, I do not like this. For reason this rubs me the wrong way. Pokemon has been doing something different for so long, now back to 3rd version with just form change? I do NOT like this at all

    Reply

  25. I legit just finished Pokemon Sun two nights ago (now to do postgame) which I know is really late but college is crazy. Anyways, as we all know, the end of Sun and Moon had a lot of cut scenes. In fact, I think there were quite a few throughout the entire game. That’s the main reason I’m not looking forward to Stars if these leaks are true.

    Reply

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