Everything we know about Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Who would have thought Pokémon fans would be able to explore feudal Sinnoh?! The game, slated to release in early 2022, will also feature gameplay unlike any other Pokémon game.

The fun of exploring while catching Pokémon and filling in a Pokédex has always been a core part of the Pokémon video game series. Pokémon Legends: Arceus was developed with the desire to deliver an experience infused with new action and RPG elements that go beyond the framework established thus far, while honoring the core gameplay of past Pokémon titles.

As Trainers explore the natural expanses in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, they’ll encounter Pokémon that call these grand vistas home. To catch wild Pokémon, players can study the Pokémon’s behaviors, sneak up to them, then throw Poké Balls. Players can also battle wild Pokémon with their ally Pokémon. By throwing the Poké Ball holding their ally Pokémon near a wild Pokémon, players will seamlessly enter battle. This new gameplay angle is intended to provide Trainers with an immersive experience.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus brings Trainers to the vast Sinnoh region as it existed in the past, long before the setting for Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl was established. Rich in nature and with Mount Coronet towering at its heart, this is a Sinnoh unlike anything Trainers have experienced before as they embark to create the region’s first Pokédex.

As they start off on their adventure, Trainers will be able to choose either Rowlet, Cyndaquil, or Oshawott as their first partner Pokémon. These three Pokémon arrived with a Pokémon Professor, who encountered them on research excursions to various regions.

Official description

Gameplay of Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Unlike past games, Pokémon Legends: Arceus will feature new combat and catching mechanics. Players can sneak up to Pokémon in the overworld in order to catch them and battles can take place immediately in the field.

Characters and setting

Players take on the role of a Pokémon trainer (art featured above) setting out to make the Sinnoh region’s very first Pokédex. This game is set in an earlier era than past visits to the region and it appears very different to the Sinnoh explored in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl or their remakes.