Fans are still in shock following the February 2024 Pokémon Presents that included the reveal not of a Black and White remakes, but Pokémon Legends: ZA. Now, the community believes Mega Evolution is being brought back to fight Palworld.
Palworld, released early in 2024, swept through the gaming community like wildfire. The game, which was marketed as “Pokémon with guns”, seemed to combine the aesthetics of Fortnite with the creatures of Pokémon and the survival elements of Tears of The Kingdom. Many Palworld players put developer Game Freak on the spot, calling the violent creature collector a more polished game. While the hype has died considerably for Palworld, many have waited for a comment from The Pokémon Company – either to address the eerily similar creature models or the player backlash towards Pokémon‘s quality. Many believe Legends: ZA could be the slap-back they have been waiting for.
Legends: ZA Trailer’s Mega Evolution Teaser Is Not Just Nostalgia
In a Twitter/X post by Realblaines, the Pokémon enthusiast states, “Palworld had Pokemon sweating for a sec, but then Pokemon did this,” followed by a meme depicting a standoff between Pokémon and Palworld.
Readers in the comments of the Twitter post seem to agree with the meme, stating “Pokemon said OK KIDS you’ve had enough fun Come back in this house”. Another adds “Don’t you think this happened because of palworld? Don’t think they had a small effect? Notice how the new game only had 1-2 minutes of total video and included 0 in-game video? They had to make an actual good product.” However, many others have stated that it is impossible to compare the two games, or that they are unsure Pokémon will truly take the success of Palworld seriously.
Related: Niantic Teases Marshadow As Part Of Pokemon GO Fest 2024
While many may hope to see Game Freak and The Pokémon Company spurred into revolutionary action by the existence of Palworld, it is more likely the reveal of Legends: ZA was encouraged by low post-game engagement for Scarlet and Violet. Following a lukewarm reception to the base game and mixed feelings about the DLC, it seems the company has decided to pivot to a timeframe and region in their history that was very good for the franchise. Returning to Kalos and rebooting Megas likely has nothing to do with Palworld, and everything to do with pulling fans who have been unseated by recent releases back into the series.
Despite this, it is still possible The Pokémon Company may come out and make a statement against Palworld in the future, or see the interest in competitive games as a call to action for overall quality improvements. Fans will have to wait for further announcements from the development team to know how they plan to tackle the issues, and what they will do to improve future games for modern audiences.
