It may just be blind speculation, but New Pokémon Snap’s release date could offer some insight into the release of the highly-anticipated Pokémon Diamond & Pearl remakes. The Pokémon franchise has established a pretty consistent pattern for its major releases, and the announcement of New Pokémon Snap’s release date provides evidence that the long awaited remakes might finally release later this year.
To this point, the headline of Pokémon’s 25th anniversary so far is the return of Pokémon Snap, a classic from the Nintendo 64. New Pokémon Snap will see players travel to the Lental region, an archipelago which contains the mysterious Illumina Phenomenon, where they will be able to observe and photograph Pokémon in their natural environment. The game looks gorgeous and it promises to be a highly enjoyable experience that has been long overdue. But while New Pokémon Snap is a noteworthy game, its early release date brings up an interesting thought as it relates to the history of Pokémon’s biggest releases.
New Pokémon Snap’s April 30th release date could be an indicator for the yet-unannounced Pokémon Diamond & Pearl remakes. When Pokémon games began receiving worldwide release dates in 2013, the series has seen a major release at the end of every single year, including the Pokémon Sword & Shield DLCs in 2020. The fact that New Pokémon Snap is not the game receiving this treatment could be a strong indication that an even bigger title is releasing later this year, if the trend were to continue. And the Pokémon Diamond & Pearl remakes would be the ideal candidate for a holiday season release.
Pokémon Diamond & Pearl’s Remake Announcement Feels Inevitable
There are clearly big plans in place for the 25th anniversary of Pokémon and it’s only fitting that the long awaited remakes of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl would be the crown jewel. These games have long been speculated about and, after a 13 year gap, a return to the Sinnoh region feels inevitable. Centro Leaks, arguably the most credible source of Pokémon series leaks, has been teasing the release of an upcoming main series Pokémon game this year and has now explicitly said it will be the Diamond & Pearl remakes following the New Pokémon Snap announcement. While this information is still unconfirmed, an announcement for the upcoming game will be strongly anticipated leading up to next month’s Pokémon Direct as evidence of its exitance continues to mount.
Fans have been clamoring for remakes of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl for years now and it feels like it’s finally going to happen. While it’s all circumstantial evidence and nothing is official, there’s more than enough smoke to assume that there is probably a fire here. New Pokémon Snap’s release date may be the biggest indicator that something big is coming from Pokémon later this year.
