DJ Pikachu has been and gone, taking the latest Pokémon Direct (or Pokémon Presents if you must) with him. And this time around, we got Pokénews aplenty, with small furry fistfuls of new Z-A details, some Pokémon Go updates, a new Pokémon puzzler, and more. But if you missed it – or simply need a refresher – you’ll find everything announced below.
A quick bit on this year’s Pokémon World Championships
First up, a reminder that the Pokémon World Championships are coming to Anaheim, California this year. They’re running from 15th-17th August, with competitors set to do battle across the likes of Pokémon Violet and Scarlet, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pokémon Go, and Pokémon Unite. All competitors get a “celebratory” promo card, so hooray. There’re more details over on the Pokémon website.
Here’s a look at Pokémon Concierge’s upcoming new episodes
Pokémon Concierge – Netflix’s gorgeously animated and well-received TV spin-off – is returning to the streaming service with more episodes, and we got an eye-catching trailer to remind us of that. Better yet, there’s an air date for the new episodes, which we now know will be available from 4th September.
Wallace and Gromit animation studio is making a Pokémon show
Aardman Animation, the studio behind the much-loved Wallace and Gromit series, is working on a new stop-motion Pokémon TV show. It promises a unique look at the Pokémon world, told from the critters’ perspective, all presented using the “signature Aardman sense of character and comedy and craft”. It’s called Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch and Pichu and – as you can see in its teaser trailer above – looks delightful. This one’s due to arrive in 2027.
A quick peek at Japan’s PokéPark Kanto theme park attraction
PokéPark Kanto – the first “permanent outdoor Pokémon attraction” – is opening within Japan’s Yomiuriland amusement park “soon” and we got a little taste of the activities visitors can enjoy should they find themselves within its walls. It’s divided into two area, Sedge Town and the Pokémon Forest. In the forest, visitors can see various Pokémon interacting with each other, while the town is an area where Pokémon and Trainers gather. It’s opening in 2026, with tickets set to go on sale later this year.
Here’s what to expect from the Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Max Finale
Next, a bit of news about Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Max Finale, which runs from 23rd-24th August, heralding back-to-back appearances from various Max Pokémon, and an opportunity for players to encounter Eternatus globally for the first time. There’s also a promo code – GOFESTMAX – you can enter on the website for a chance of catching a Gigantamax Pokémon.
A quick round-up of everything going on in Pokémon’s mobile spin-offs
And in other mobile news, Pokémon Masters EX will see Carmine & Sinistcha appear in their featured Poké Fair from 29th July to 6th September, while Lapra – in its five-star sea captain outfit – is set to appear in Pokémon Café Remix starting 23rd July until 21st August. Sea adventure-themed decorations are also being added to café customisation soon, with Alolan Mouth, Totodile, and Minccino also on the way in special crew-themed outfits “one after another”.
Over in Pokémon Sleep, players can research Raikou, Entei, and Suicune this September, and a new area – Amber Canyon – arrives in November. As for Pokémon Unite, Latios joins on 18th July and Latias arrives on 8th August, all to commemorate the games fourth anniversary.
And a sentence about the Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Trading Card Game: Mega Evolution releases Friday, 26th September. There you go.
Pokémon Friends revealed and out today
And if that’s not enough spin-off games to be getting on with, there’s now Pokémon Friends, a Pokémon-themed mini-game puzzler featuring sliding blocks, rotating tracks, and more. Solving puzzles unlocks digital plushies you can use to decorate your in-game “plush room”, and it’s available today on Switch, iOS and Android.
Some Pokémon Violet and Scarlet news, including more Tera Raids
After a quick reminder Pokémon Violet and Scarlet now have a Switch 2 update improving framerate and resolution, we got the news a fresh Tera Raid battle event starts tomorrow, 23rd July, featuring shiny versions of Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu, and Chi-Yu, with each being available for one week starting 23rd July and ending 14th September. However, just completing a battle isn’t enough to secure the Pokémon – you can only add them to your team after they’ve been defeated 1m times by the community. Various weekly Pokémon Mass Outbreak events are set to run concurrently, and there’s also a tracksuit apparel item you can acquire by entering the code STRACKSU1T or VTRACKSU1T into Scarlet and Violet respectively.
Another look at Pokémon Champions
The previously announced Pokémon Champions, which lets players battle each other in an arena using new or previous Pokémon Partners (you’ll need to use Pokémon Home in order to access the latter), got another airing during today’s showcase, offering a look at battling, the newly revealed training feature, and more. There’s still no release date for Pokémon Champions yet, but it’s coming to Switch, iOS, and Android next year.
And lastly, Pokémon Z-A returns with fresh details
And finally, the big one: Pokémon Z-A. GameFreak had plenty to say on its latest mainline Pokémon entry – here seen running on Switch 2 – including a look at Lumiose City, its story, Z-A Royale battles, side activities (including character customisation and customisable Furfrous), plus photo mode. You can read more on Z-A’s latest showing – including details on Rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon – elsewhere on Eurogamer. It’s out 16th October, alongside a Switch 2 bundle, and that, I’m afraid, is the end of today’s news.
