Tokyo-based game developer Game Freak, widely known to gamers for its work on the Pokémon series, announced a partnership with publisher Private Division on a new action/adventure IP.
Codenamed Project Bloom, the new game appears to be targeting a more mature audience than the studio’s previous titles, if the concept art is any indication. It is currently in early development and scheduled to be released sometime in fiscal year 2026.
Kota Furushima, Director at Game Freak, said in a statement:
We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to create new IP that is bold and tonally different from our prior work. From the beginning, Private Division was the publisher we wanted to work with on our new game. Their track record and global expertise give us all the confidence to create a sweeping new action-adventure game that we can’t wait to share more about in the future.
Michael Worosz, Chief Strategy Officer at Take-Two Interactive and Head of Private Division, added:
Over the past three decades, you’d be hard pressed to find a studio which has released more iconic hits than Game Freak. We’re ready to help Game Freak unleash their potential and we’re honored to be the first Western publisher to work alongside this exceptionally talented and proven team to bring a bold new IP to market.
Beyond Pokémon games like Sword and Shield, Legends: Arceus, and Scarlet and Violet, Game Freak also released the roleplaying game Little Town Hero in 2019. However, the game didn’t fare nearly as well as their main franchise, receiving mixed reviews. In Wccftech’s, Nathan Birch rated Little Town Hero 6.5 out of 10. Here’s an excerpt of what he thought about it:
Game Freak’s latest side thing is Little Town Hero, an adventure that takes place entirely in your standard humble village so many JRPGs start off in. As with most Game Freak titles, Little Town Hero has a fairly simple and predictable story, but isn’t without its charms. Most of the game’s characters are likable, and it’s interesting to see Game Freak break free of their usual E-rated box (this game is rated T and features drinking, smoking, and some surprisingly freaky monster designs). That said, the story can get a bit repetitive – carrying on a Pokemon tradition, Axe has a rival in the game, who you end up fighting at least seven or eight times before the game is over. Your rival isn’t a terrible character, but the way they use him is overkill.
[…] As you may have picked up on, I’m a bit split on Little Town Hero. The game’s issues are hard to overlook, and yet, I still happily gobbled up the game’s 10-to-12-hour story in only a couple days. For all the game’s shortcomings, I still found it strangely compelling, although I realize I might be an outlier. For many, if not the majority, or players, a little of this game will likely go a long way.
As for Private Division, they’ve had a quiet couple of years except for the releases of OlliOlli World, Rollerdrome, and Kerbal Space Program 2, though the latter game wasn’t that well received in its early access debut.
Still, they have an interesting lineup beyond the newly announced Game Freak game. They’ll publish a Middle-earth game in development at Wētā Workshop, a survival horror title from Bloober Team, and the ambitious next game from Ori developer Moon Studios, among others.
