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Pokemon Legends: Arceus hits Nintendo Switch in early 2022

It's a prequel to all the other games, and looks a lot like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
Sean knows far too much about Marvel, DC and Star Wars, and poured this knowledge into recaps and explainers on CNET. He also worked on breaking news, with a passion for tech, video game and culture.
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Sean Keane

The Pokemon games are headed in an ambitious new direction, in the form of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which was revealed in a Friday livestream. The action RPG, a prequel to the rest of the games, comes to Nintendo Switch in early 2022 and seems to be set in a spectacular open world.

It's a surprising turn for the series, which has stuck close to its traditional formula and gameplay since 1996. Like remakes Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, also announced Friday, it's set in the Sinnoh region.

Arceus is a mythical Pokemon, and is said to have shaped the universe.

We also got a fresh trailer for New Pokemon Snap. The livestream came a day before the 25th anniversary of Pokemon Red and Green's original release in Japan, which is being marked with a virtual Post Malone concert.