Katsuhiro Harada, the general manager of Bandai Namco, is hoping to develop a sequel to the Pokémon fighting game Pokkén Tournament. First released as an arcade game in 2015, Pokkén made its way to Wii U in 2016 and Nintendo Switch in 2017.
The fighting game, which merges gameplay from Bandai Namco's Tekken series with characters from the Pokémon franchise, has sold over two million copies. On Twitter, Harada said the decision to greenlight a sequel was up to Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.
“We have a good relationship with Nintendo and Pokemon Co., Ltd., and Pokkén has had a great response, so I would like to make it again,” he wrote. “But it’s not what we decide, it’s what they decide.”
In June 2017, an enhanced Nintendo Switch port, titled title Pokkén Tournament DX, was announced. The port, which was released worldwide on September 22, 2017, includes the last four fighters added in the arcade version as well as an exclusive fighter and new game modes.
Two DLC packs were announced for the DX version in January 2018. In Pack One, which was released on January 31, 2018, Aegislash fights alongside Mega Rayquaza and Mimikyu as support Pokémon. In Pack Two, which was released on March 23, 2018, Blastoise fights alongside Mew and Celebi as support Pokémon.
Bandai Namco, which has a partnership with Nintendo, has recently co-developed new Super Smash Bros. games as well as the forthcoming Pokémon Snap, the Switch sequel to the classic N64 game set to be released on April 30.. Last November, The Pokémon Company announced plans for a “very special upcoming celebration of Pokémon’s 25th anniversary in 2021.”
Last week, on its anniversary website, The Pokémon Company announced a collaboration with singer Katy Perry that includes special merchandise and reprints of classic Pokémon cards. The company is also reportedly planning to release Switch remakes of Nintendo DS games Diamond and Pearl.
Harada has also announced an update of Tekken 7, saying, "With the rise of eSports, COVID-19 shifted player attention toward the online aspect of [Tekken 7. I think players weren't necessarily forced to move to online play, but rather is just something that comes naturally with the frequency of eSports done online. Which is why we are currently working on an update to improve the online experience, and liven up the scene in a different way than usual."
Source: Video Games Chronicle