AsPokemonhas grown into one of the biggest video game franchises in the world, both the franchise’s mainline series of RPG games and its numerous spinoffs have fostered a passionate competitive community.Pokemon GOpreviously announced the mobile game will be hosting its first everPokemon GOChampionship Series in 2022, and thePokemon Trading Card Gamehas become one of the most widely recognized TCGs in the world alongside games likeYu-Gi-Oh!andMagic: The Gathering. Now, The Pokemon Company has officially revealedPokken Tournamentis saying goodbye to the competitive circuit.While the popularity ofPokken Tournament, thePokemonfranchise’s first foray into fighting games, has dwindled sincePokken Tournament DXhit the Switch in 2017, the game has remained a popular niche title for many fans ofPokemonand fighting games.Pokken Tournamentdidn’t see the same kind of widespread success as its Nintendo fighting game contemporarySuper Smash Bros, but was a popular title early on in the Switch’s life. With no update on the future of the fighting game spinoff in several years, seeing its last new character in 2018,Pokemonofficially announced the end ofPokken Tournamentin the “Play Pokemon” program.RELATED:Nintendo Gave New Pokemon Snap to Bandai Namco Due to Work on Pokken TournamentThe official Twitter account forPokemon’s “Play Pokemon” competitive circuit made the announcement late last week, confirming thatPokken Tournamentwould not be returning with the program following the conclusion of the 2022 season. The Pokemon Company thanked the game’s passionate fanbase for supporting boththe fighting game spinoffand its competitive scene throughout the years accompanied by a GIF featuring many iconic moments from past tournaments.Pokken Tournament’s final event is currently set for the 2022 World Championships later this year.
While many fans will be saddened by the departure ofPokken Tournamentfrom the competitivePokemoncircuit, both Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have remained quiet about the future of the fighting game franchise.Pokken Tournamentproducer Katsuhiro Harada said last year he would beopen to aPokkenTournamentsequel, though no official confirmation of a follow-up has been made by either of the game’s creators.
Though fans may never see a follow-up to the popularPokemonfighting game, the franchise recently celebrating its 25th anniversary has seen a slew of major releases over the past year as well as high-profile announcements. Last year saw the release ofNew Pokemon Snap,Pokemon Unite, andPokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, while 2022 has already started off with a bang with the massive success ofPokemon Legends: Arceusand the reveal ofPokemon’s ninth generation withPokemon Scarlet and Violet. WhilePokken Tournament’s future is uncertain, thePokemonfranchise as a whole continues to thrive.
