Pokemon Developer Unveils New RPG Called Pandoland, Coming Out In April

Game Freak, best known for developing the Pokemon franchise, is working on a new smartphone RPG named Pandoland. The title is slated to arrive in late April, with pre-registration available now on iOS and Android. Signing up can net you diamonds that can equate to 100 gacha pulls.

Pandoland is described as a casual-adventure RPG, seeing players search for treasures and explore dungeons. There are apparently over 500 characters and items to collect, and building a team of companions helps with exploration. The official trailer for the game--seen below--showcases a blocky art style as a group of characters set sail on the open seas aboard a ship. The boat passes by different islands and even a giant squid.

This isn't the only game cooking at Game Freak that has nothing to do with Pokemon. In 2023, the developer revealed Project Bloom, a new action-adventure game that's supposed to be "bold and tonally different" from the company's past catalog. Game Freak is partnering with Private Division on Project Bloom, which previously was part of Take-Two Interactive. However, Private Division was reportedly sold to an unknown buyer late last year, and it's unknown if this could affect the game.

Meanwhile, Game Freak is also busy with Pokemon Legends Z-A, which is planned to launch on Switch this year. Pokemon Legends Z-A is set in Lumiose City, a hub first introduced to the franchise with Pokemon X and Y. There has been no official mention of the game possibly coming to Switch 2 at this point. However, Pokemon Day (February 27) is later this month and usually accompanied by a Pokemon Presents livestream, so it's a possibility we could learn more then.