The studio that has brought fans so many Pokémon games is working with Private Division on a brand-new IP featuring Samurai.

Game Freak, the developer of many Pokémon titles, is now working on a game with Samurai. The studio will work with Private Division, the video game publisher behind The Outer Worlds and Hades. Michael Worosz, head of Private Division, said the publisher is honoured to be Game Freak’s first Western collaboration partner.

Game Freak has worked closely with Nintendo throughout its history, producing games such as Yoshi, Mario & Wario and the Pokémon series.

Although Game Freak initially launched with a range of titles, Pokémon has dominated recently. In 2019, then-director Masayuki Onoue said the developer was increasingly focusing on original titles. He did so in the hope of increasing the experience of his staff. Since then, Game Freak has produced three original games, Giga Wrecker, Little Town Hero and Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On.

The developer’s brand new game is currently titled Project Bloom. It will be an action-adventure game. According to Game Freak director Kota Furushima, it promises to be very different from what fans have come to expect from the Pokémon series. Furushima said that they are very excited to create a new IP that is very different in tone from previous titles. He went on to call the project “bold”. Furushima said the plan from the beginning was to work with Private Division. Game Freak is very much influenced by the publisher’s international expertise and track record in previous games. Although Furushima said that the studio is very excited about the future of Project Bloom, very little is known about it at the moment.

Alongside the announcement, Game Freak and Private Division shared a concept artwork showing a samurai-like figure standing in an ancient forest.

The image alone promises an ambitious visual world. Fans will likely be excited to discover it. Game Freak is very closely tied to Nintendo, based on its recent original titles. However, it’s clear that he’s keen to work with other creators and broaden his horizons. No information is yet available on which platforms Project Bloom will be available.

All we know for now is that Project Bloom is in early development. It will be released between April 2025 and March 2026. Game Freak fans must be patient, but if the concept art is anything to go by, it will be worth the wait.

Source: IGN