Eurogamer has learned that “a new version” of Pokémon Sun and Moon, possibly combining features from the two previous into an updated title code-named “Stars,” is currently in development for the Nintendo Switch and is scheduled to arrive next year. Initially slated for a summer window, it’s now expected near the end of 2017.
The report stated that “Stars” is being developed by the same team at Game Freak that developed Sun and Moon, and that a portion of the Nintendo Switch version has actually already been shown off to the public. A quick view of an HD model for the Pokémon “Pikipek” seen in a teaser earlier this year is apparently for the Switch version, and not the 3DS releases available today.
This would be the first time Nintendo released one of the main Pokémon games on a home console. The company first toyed with the idea during the Nintendo 64 generation, when the game Pokémon Stadium allowed players to connect their Game Boy Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue cartridges so they could use their captures creatures on the big screen. The battle modes were fairly limited, however, and it didn’t feature the longer, role-playing story mode we expect from the series.
Releasing the latest Pokémon games on the Switch also suggests that Nintendo could, in fact, be moving away from the 3DS entirely. Though the company has stated that it intends to continue developing games for the system, including upcoming titles like Pikmin and Yoshi’s Woolly World, the Switch’s portable-hybrid design could be the perfect fit for all future Pokémon installments. The system will be a little more difficult to fit in your pocket for meetups, however.
