2018 is looking to be a strong year for the Pokemon franchise. The Pokemon Company has been celebrating the 22nd year of the pocket monsters’ existence with continued support for the mobile phenomenon Pokemon Go, as well as a new manga series coming to the west in May. The end of this year could also likely see the release of the previously announced Pokemon game for the Nintendo Switch. As this will be the first main entry in the series for the console, many have been expecting big things. Now, an official Nintendo magazine has stated that the new game will mark the debut of Pokemon generation eight.

Here is the Nintendo magazine talking about the upcoming Pokémom games pic.twitter.com/TnbJynvQDZ

— Raquel (@raqueruu) April 14, 2018

Twitter user Ahnabella (@raqueruu) has shared photos of the Spanish version of the official Nintendo Magazine. One page talks about the new exclusives coming to the Switch, including Metroid Prime 4 and the new Fire Emblem game. Also mentioned is the new Pokemon game, which will mark the first time that a core Pokemon title will come to a Nintendo console intended for home use on a television. With the game  marking such a big leap forward for the franchise, many assumed other big jumps as well, including the introduction of a new generation of Pokemon for players to catch. Translation of this magazine’s coverage of the game indicates that the eight generation of Pokemon will indeed be introduced in this new game. If this is the case, the new game would also likely present a new region for Pokemon trainers to explore.

The magazine spot also mentions “new mechanics” that will be present in the game. It does not specifically mention what these could be, so anything from a new battle system to a new way of interacting with Pokemon like Pokemon Amie in the recent games could be possible additions. This magazine has made some errors in the past, so some caution should be taken with these statements. Still, given the slight vagueness, it does seem quite possible that a new generation of Pokemon would be born out of Pikachu’s first main foray in a new generation of gaming. Do you think Pokemon generation eight will be introduced in the new Nintendo Switch game? Let us know in the comments below!

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