Summary
The CEO of The Pokemon Company recently revealed that he believes thePokemonfranchise will reach its 100th anniversary. These positive comments come asPokemonrecently celebrated Pokemon Day 2025, unveiling many announcements to look forward to over the coming year.
As one of the most popular media franchises in the world,Pokemonhas experienced incredible growthover the last few decades. While the franchise began on the Game Boy in 1996 with the release ofPokemon Red and Greenin Japan, it quickly expanded in subsequent years. In addition to nine generations of mainline games and numerous spin-off titles,Pokemonhas branched into anime, merchandise, and much more. Thanks to its far-reaching appeal, even most non-gamers are familiar with the franchise and its recognizable mascot, Pikachu. With the 29th anniversary of the franchise having recently happened, the company has shared an optimistic view of the future.
In a recentinterview with the BBC, Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of The Pokemon Company, revealed that the franchise could have many more years ahead of it. According to Ishihara, “If we continue focusing on our mission,Pokemoncan probably continue to its 50th or 100th anniversary.” These predictions from the CEO seem viable, given the franchise’s success over the years. The mainline games continue to sell millions of copies, andmobile offerings likePokemon TCG PocketandPokemon GOhave been very popular. However, Ishihara warned of the dangers of complacency, saying the franchise could “go downhill” if they “go with the flow” instead of innovating on the brand.
Pokemon Has a Lot Planned for the Rest of 2025
These comments come as The Pokemon Company recently hosted a Pokemon Presents event. During the presentation, many significant announcements regarding the franchise were made. New content for existing games likePokemon GO,Pokemon TCG Pocket, andPokemon Unitewere unveiled, and more episodes ofPokemon Conciergewere announced for Netflix. In addition, the upcomingPokemon Legends: Z-Arevealed a look at gameplay, revealing the starters and more. There was even a new game reveal inPokemon Champions, a new PvP game focused on battling Pokemon.
If we continue focusing on our mission,Pokemoncan probably continue to its 50th or 100th anniversary.
With much of the roadmap for the rest of 2025 laid out, it will be interesting to see how successful The Pokemon Company is in the year ahead. While time will tell if the franchise makes it to its 100th anniversary, it looks like The Pokemon Company has no intentions of slowing down soon. As a result,Pokemonfans have lots to look forward toin the coming months.
Pokemon
Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
