Pokémon has had a pretty big year so far. FireRed and LeafGreen arrived on Switch and Switch 2, Pokémon Champions released, and the first trailer for Winds and Waves was shown in February. It’s the franchise’s 30th anniversary, so a lot of this was likely meant to coincide with this milestone. Now, another new Pokémon game has been surprisingly revealed for a July release.
And, no, this isn’t a fan game. It’s an official new Pokémon game that will debut on July 18, 2026. Right now, however, it looks like the game won’t release outside Japan. Given Pokémon‘s global popularity, however, we’ll hopefully see an English version in the near future. The game, which is called Pokémon Plakoro, was confirmed for its July 18 release date in a new post over on X. You can also watch a trailer for the game below.
Now, older Pokémon fans might remember Plakoro as a release from back in the ’90s, but this is the new, second edition of the game. After 29 years, the new version of Pokémon Plakoro is still a lot like the dice and model board game you might recall. Once again, Bandai is releasing this new board game, but this time around, it’s to coincide with the 30th anniversary.
This new game of Pokémon Plakoro will launch with 6 different Starter Sets: Bulbasuar, Charmander, Squirtle, Eevee, Pikachu, and Mew. Each set includes:
- 1 Character Die
- 1 Energy Die
- 18 Custom Chips
- 1 Character Card
- 7 Move Cards
- 1 Instructions Sheet
At launch, there is one Adventure Set, which features Gen 1 favorites like Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Onix. As with the first version of the game, there will be additional merchandise to purchase as well as future Adventure Sets planned (right now, they’re still listed as TBA).
This new Plakoro marks just one of the many releases happening in 2026 to celebrate Pokémon‘s 30th anniversary. And while a number of new games have come our way already, we’re still getting the 30th Celebration set for the Pokémon TCG this fall, an IRL Pokémon pinball machine, and a number of collabs with different brands.
If you’re looking to check out Pokémon Plakoro when it comes out in a couple of weeks, the Starter Sets run for 990 yen each (about $6.00 USD), but you’ll have to import them from Japan, so expect to pay some heavy shipping fees. Still, it’s cool that we’re getting a new and unexpected Pokémon game in July, and it’s also nice to see the return of a pretty fun tabletop game.
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Pokemon Red and Blue, Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Gold and Silver, Pokémon Crystal, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokemon Sapphire, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon Black and White, Pokemon Black and White 2, Pokemon X and Y, Pokemon Sun and Moon, Pokemon Sword and Shield, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokemon Winds and Waves, Pokemon Legends Arceus, Pokemon Legends Z-A