Pokémon developer Game Freak is teaming up with Western publisher Take-Two Interactive for a brand-new, original action-adventure game titled Project Bloom. The new game will be published by Take Two’s Private Division label and will be “bold and tonally different” from Game Freak’s other work, the developer says.
Game Freak and Private Division released a piece of concept artwork from Project Bloom, which was illustrated by artist Kazuma Koda, known for his work on games like Nier: Automata, Bayonetta 2, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The artwork shows a lone warrior standing in a swampy forest. The warrior appears to be wearing traditional Japanese clothing, including a straw or bamboo hat, and is armed with a sword. In their immediate surroundings, a wave of spores or fireflies — either of which could be references to the project name — appears to be passing through.
Project Bloom is planned for release sometime during Take-Two Interactive’s 2026 fiscal year, which runs from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to create new IP that is bold and tonally different from our prior work,” said Kota Furushima, director at Game Freak, in a news release. “From the beginning, Private Division was the publisher we wanted to work with on our new game. Their track record and global expertise give us all the confidence to create a sweeping new action-adventure game that we can’t wait to share more about in the future.”
“We’re ready to help Game Freak unleash their potential and we’re honored to be the first Western publisher to work alongside this exceptionally talented and proven team to bring a bold new IP to market,” added Michael Worosz, chief strategy officer at Take-Two Interactive and head of Private Division.
Game Freak is best known for its work on Pokémon, developing dozens of Pokémon games over the past three decades for The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. Game Freak has also worked with Nintendo and other publishers on original games, like Drill Dozer, HarmoKnight, Tembo the Badass Elephant, and Pocket Card Jockey.
Private Division was established in 2017 and has published games like The Outer Worlds, Kerbal Space Program 2, OlliOlli World, Rollerdrome, and Hades from a variety of developers. In 2022, Private Division announced that it will publish games from studios Die Gute Fabrik, Evening Star, Piccolo Studio, and Yellow Brick Games, and is working with Wētā Workshop on a new Lord of the Rings game set in Middle-earth.