Beast of Reincarnation
| Beast of Reincarnation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Game Freak |
| Publisher(s) | Fictions |
| Director(s) | Kota Furushima |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | 2026 |
| Genre(s) | Action RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Beast of Reincarnation is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by Game Freak and published by Fictions. It is the first AAA title by Game Freak outside of the Pokémon series and is directed by Kota Furushima, who previously worked on the battle system and sound for various Pokémon titles.[1] The game is set to release in 2026 for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.[2]
Set in Japan in the year 4026, the story follows Emma the Sealer and her dog Koo as they navigate a post-apocalyptic land ruined by corruption.
Premise
[edit]Beast of Reincarnation is described as a "one-person, one-dog action RPG".[3] The game follows Emma the Sealer, a young woman with blight powers who can manipulate plants to traverse and fight enemies. Her companion is a stray dog known as Koo, as they work together to free post-apocalyptic Japan from a corrupted creature that has blighted the natural world.[4] The game's art style and story have been compared to Studio Ghibli works such as Princess Mononoke.[5][4]
Gameplay
[edit]The game will focus heavily on combat, pitting players against various enemies from oversized mutant creatures to robots. The combat system has been compared to other action RPGs such as Black Myth: Wukong, Nier: Automata and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.[6][7]
Release
[edit]The game was first announced in May 2023 under the working title Project Bloom as a partnership between Game Freak and Private Division. Upon announcement, scarce details were provided other than a projection for a 2026 release, the reveal of Furushima as director, and a single piece of concept art showing a lone woman in a forest.[8][9][10]
At the Xbox Games Showcase in 2025, the game was publicly revealed for the first time in a gameplay trailer that confirmed its official title as Beast of Reincarnation, along with a release window of 2026.[1] Upon announcement, it emerged that Private Division were no longer involved in publishing the game due to their sale by Take-Two Interactive. Instead, the game is being published by Fictions.[3] This will be the first Game Freak title to release on Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and will also be available on Xbox Game Pass immediately after launch.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Shea, Brian. "Pokémon Developer Game Freak Announces Beast Of Reincarnation For PS5, Xbox, And PC". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 11, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (June 8, 2025). "Beast of Reincarnation Is a Game Freak Action Game Due Out 2026". IGN. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Campbell, Ian Carlos (June 8, 2025). "Beast of Reincarnation is a 'one-person, one-dog' RPG launching in 2026". Engadget. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Smith, Nat. "Beast of Reincarnation release date window, trailers, story, and gameplay". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Manchester, Austin (June 8, 2025). "Beast of Reincarnation coming from Pokémon dev Game Freak in 2026". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Carpenter, Lincoln (June 8, 2025). "Game Freak reminds us that it's more than Pokémon with Beast of Reincarnation, a 'one-person, one-dog action RPG' about fighting robots and corrupted beasts in post-apocalyptic Japan". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Barder, Ollie. "Game Freak Breaks Free From 'Pokémon' With 'Beast Of Reincarnation'". Forbes. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Rousseau, Jeffrey (May 9, 2023). "Private Division and Game Freak team up for new IP Project Bloom". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Bailey, Kat (May 9, 2023). "Project Bloom: Pokémon Studio Teaming With Private Division for 'Ambitious' Samurai Game". IGN. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Wales, Matt (May 9, 2023). "Pokémon dev Game Freak creating new action-adventure IP with Private Division". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Nightingale, Ed (June 8, 2025). "Pokémon developer Game Freak reveals Beast of Reincarnation at Xbox Games Showcase". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on June 8, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.