The Pokémon franchise is famous for its ability to remake previous games in exciting, fresh ways, and it seems like their next remake may be just around the corner. In a surprising leak over the weekend, a supposed Game Freak coder revealed the remakes for Pokémon Diamond & Pearl are currently in development. This is exciting news for fans, as a Diamond & Pearl remake has been at the top of every Poké Stan's wish list. According to the leak, the games are titled Max Pearl & Max Diamond and are expected to prominently feature the Dynamax mechanic, which was first introduced in Pokémon Sword & Shield.
The leak shares details about which Pokémon will receive new GMax forms in the upcoming game. The third evolution of the Sinnoh starters, Infernape, Torterra, and Empoleon, will each allegedly be receiving their own GMax form. In addition, Luxray, Mismagius, Garchomp, Claydoll, Matine, Dragalge, and Floatzel will also be receiving their own GMax forms as well. Claydoll, Mantine, and Dragalge are surprising choices to receive a GMax form, seeing as the Pokémon have already been introduced in Pokémon Sword & Shield. If Game Freak wanted to introduce new forms for these Pokémon, why didn't they include them when they were originally added to the game?
While this news sounds exciting, it's important to take it with a grain of salt. Information coming from an anonymous Game Freak employee sounds a little too good to be true. The Diamond & Pearl remakes have been one of the most sought-after sequels among Pokémon fans. It's possible that the anonymous leak could be a hoax. The Pokémon rumored to receive new GMax forms seem a bit random as several come from different generations, which does bring into question the validity of this leak. However, news of the leak has been shared by some reliable sources, which does give it a little credibility. Or at the very least, it shows the leak may not be totally bogus.
Pokémon Max Diamond & Max Pearl's Release Date
The most important bit of information shared in this leak is the release date for the potential Pokémon Max Diamond & Max Pearl games. According to the leak, the games are scheduled for a November 2021 release date. This date is very interesting because it comes after Pokémon Day 2021, which will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise. It's expected that Game Freak will announce a full slate of new games to celebrate the anniversary.
Titles like New Pokémon Snap and Pokémon Unite have already been announced, but haven't received release dates. It's likely their official release date will be announced on Pokémon Day. While these are two anticipated titles, Pokémon fans would be disappointed if Snap and Unite were the only big announcements on Pokémon's 25th anniversary. Pokémon Max Diamond & Max Pearl, on the other hand would excite almost every Pokémon fan and provide a proper celebration for the franchise's anniversary.
The Pokémon Diamond & Pearl remakes have been a dream of Pokémon fans for a long time, but that dream may soon be a reality. It's difficult to gauge the authenticity of these rumors, but it's exciting to see any type of potential news about these remakes. Be sure to keep an eye out for any updates on Max Diamond & Max Pearl leading up to Pokémon Day 2021.