Are Good Pokémon Spin-Offs Making a Return?

If we take ourselves all the way back to the third and fourth generations of Pokémon, it felt like a time where spin-offs were booming. Between Pokémon Colosseum, an RPG where you play the bad-guy-turned-good-guy, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, where you play as a Pokémon and Pokémon Ranger, a game where you temporarily tame Pokémon to assist you in your endeavours, it felt like us fans were spoiled with content that offered different experiences in the Pokémon universe.

Fast forward to 2025, sometimes it feels like dedicated spin-offs are neglected in favour of free-to-play mobile swill such as Pokémon Go, Pokémon Sleep, Pokémon Unite…. and so on. It was beginning to feel like real spin-offs had been ditched and we were only going to be served mobile slop going forward. Even the most recent Pokémon Presents had nothing new to offer up.

And then, one sunny September afternoon, the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct we had all been waiting for delivered some surprises. Pokémon Pokopia was revealed. A brand new idea for the world of Pokémon where the player takes control of a Ditto-turned-human that has awoke in a world in desperate need of revitalisation. As Ditto, you explore the world and begin to build a utopia. You can learn moves offered by other Pokémon to craft and create your own unique land.

At first glance, the game looked Minecraft inspired with a dash of Animal Crossing. But after some investigation and careful consideration, it appears more in line with the Dragon Quest Builders series. Either way, this had my heart racing. I was excited about a brand new Pokémon spin-off, coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. And not a sign of it being anything to do with mobile.

There’s very little else known about this game right now, but seeing an adventurous spin-off reach consoles that isn’t a remake or a rehash of an older or existing title is exciting. Are we going to see more of this? Can I be excited for Pokémon Presents again in the future? For now, who knows. But you will no doubt see coverage of Pokémon Pokopia here at Nintendo Link, as well as hear me raving about it on socials on the build up to its release.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!