Tencent is developing a new Pokémon title with the Pokémon Company’s blessing.

So this comes as a bit of a surprise. We knew that Tencent and Nintendo we working together to bring the Switch over to China, but we didn’t think this would ever result in a larger partnership where Tencent would actually create a Pokémon game.

According to a recent press release from Tencent (and helpfully translated by Twitter user @serkantoto), the giant Chinese entertainment conglomerate is working with The Pokémon Company to develop a Pokémon game to be sold in China.

Development will be handled by TiMi Studio Group, the developer that made Arena of Valor (easily the biggest mobile game in China) as well as PUBG Mobile and the upcoming Call of Duty: Mobile.

As you can probably already tell, the running theme with TiMi is that they tend to make mobile games. Tencent didn’t say precisely what platform the new Pokémon game would be on, but we’re betting that it’ll be a mobile game based on TiMi’s previous titles. On top of that, mobile gaming is by far the biggest game platform in China and completely eclipses any other console or home PC.

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Other than the fact it’ll have little, collectible, evolving monsters, we don’t have a whole lot to go on. Tencent could be trying to make a Pokémon GO rival, or they could be making their own version of the upcoming Pokémon Masters, which is set to arrive on iOS and Android later this summer.

Or--and this is a very unlikely scenario--Tencent could be aiming to make their own mainline-style Pokémon game for the Switch, which recently began selling in China. A Chinese version of Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee, or at least something similar, isn’t too far outside the realm of possibility.

We’ll be sure to report on what this weird new official Pokémon game could be once Tencent releases more info.

(via Gematsu)

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