Our favorite pocket monsters are celebrating big time this 2026 with the upcoming 30th Anniversary of the Pokemon franchise. While officially kicking off on Pokemon Day, February 27, the event announcement got fans riled up, immediately theorizing about the many shapes and forms this celebration might take for trainers worldwide.
Already confirming collaborations with McDonald’s, LEGO, and adidas, The Pokemon Company isn’t exactly shying away from the razzmatazz, and neither are we. Though we might not be expecting the reveal of Detective Pikachu 2, we are certainly boarding the hype train, hoping it doesn’t crash and burn.
From long-awaited news to internet-breaking announcements, here’s what we expect from the Pokemon 30th Anniversary event in 2026:
1. Updated Nintendo Classics Library for Game Boy & GameCube
The Nintendo Classics library lets paying members boot up their favorite retro games from over three decades of consoles, yet it includes no mainline Pokemon titles. Hopefully, that ends with this event.
Starting with Nintendo GameCube’s Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, both promised to fans during the Nintendo Switch 2 announcement stream, many speculate online about the inclusion of the first three generations of games also being added to the Nintendo Classics catalogue.
This would include Pokemon Red and Blue, Pokemon Gold and Silver, and Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, leaving enhanced and definitive third versions of each generation for another time. It’s safe to say that if not one of these releases for Pokemon’s big 3-0, then we are never seeing these ports come to light, putting all hopes and dreams of modern playthroughs to rest.
2. Pokemon GO Exclusives, Including the Return of Mewtwo
Coming fresh off a heavy Gen 1 year in 2025, Pokemon GO is coincidentally celebrating its 10th Anniversary as the franchise enters its third decade. This should mean double the catching, double the battles, and double the fun, especially with special research tasks and wild spawns.
We can expect plenty of starters from all Gens and plenty of stylized Pikachus out and about, but most importantly, the extremely anticipated return of the genetic Pokemon, Mewtwo. It’s been a long wait for trainers worldwide to see this Legendary’s homecoming, vanishing from the spawn pool and research tasks in July 2022.
This 30th Anniversary, combined with Pokemon GO’s own 10th jubilee, should be the perfect excuse for the most coveted Pokemon GO catch to show itself once more. Make sure you sort your Pokeballs, Berries, and inventories accordingly, as whatever hoops Nintendo makes us jump through will not be painless. We can guarantee that.
3. Pokemon Gen 10 Official Reveal
2022 was also the year we last got introduced to a brand-new region and Pokedex with Gen 9’s Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Selling over 27 million copies and becoming the second-best-selling Pokemon of all time, one can only imagine what Gen 10 might do to a trainer.
Leaks in the last couple of years have given players a glimpse into the ins and outs of developing a juggernaut like a mainline Pokemon. Reports suggest Pokemon Waves and Wind working titles, new in-game mechanics, and starter descriptions, all yet to be confirmed by Nintendo and Game Freak themselves, of course.
I can already see the timeline refreshing at the speed of light with first impressions, low-quality memes, and a million opinions if this announcement comes true during 2026's celebrations. Considering Nintendo’s level of secrecy, the sooner the leaks become useless, the better. Especially after Pokemon Legends: Z-A was eaten alive by the majority of trainers, Game Freak could use both a distraction and a win.
For the next instalment, potentially the next best-selling Pokemon game ever, to be confirmed during the brand’s 30th Anniversary would be fitting and poetic at the same time. Here's to hoping and wishing this event blasts our expectations away, Team Rocket-style. Meowth, let us be right!
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