A release date for Pokémon Sleep may be closer than fans thought, as a recent Pokémon GO datamine suggests the elusive mobile game will be coming sometime in 2022. Announced back in 2019, news regarding Pokémon Sleep dried up not long after it was initially unveiled. Since then, it's felt like Game Freak and The Pokémon Company have forgotten the game entirely. However, that may not be the case, if the Pokémon GO datamine is accurate.
Pokémon Sleep was revealed as its own mobile app which would work with Niantic's Pokémon GO to track users' sleep patterns and let them earn rewards. The latest Pokémon GO datamine shows a new device, codenamed WAINA, which could be the Pokémon GO Plus+ device that was promoted to be used in Sleep. Additionally, files for a "Niantic.Holoholo.Sleep" library are allegedly in the game, which also hints that a release date for Pokémon Sleep may be quickly approaching.
As with any datamines and leaks, these latest from Pokémon GO should be taken with a grain of salt. However, if Pokémon Sleep is still coming out, then it would make sense that data for the app would appear in Pokémon GO ahead of time. It's these kinds of datamining efforts that have led to countless leaks in games like Genshin Impact and Pokémon Unite. Assuming this is all true, then the question remains: Is Pokémon Sleep getting a 2022 release date?
Pokémon Sleep Release Date: Is 2022 Really Possible?
Pokémon Sleep has remained a complicated mystery, to say the least. There's never been official footage shown to the public, and there was rampant speculation it had been canceled. With Niantic, Game Freak, and The Pokémon Company not commenting on its status - or offering any new updates - that has seemed like the most probable outcome. Since its initial announcement, Pokémon mobile games like Pokémon Unite have been released, making it appear all the more unlikely that Pokémon Sleep will ever get a release date.
The recent datamine for Pokémon GO is arguably the most substantial piece of Sleep news in a long time, so it's reasonable for fans to be hopeful. At this point, it's too early to tell if Pokémon Sleep will actually release, if it's been canceled, or if it's coming in 2022. Without an official announcement, it's difficult to be too excited. If these leaks are accurate, however, then it certainly seems possible Pokémon Sleep will have a 2022 release date. This early in the year, if files are already appearing in GO, then that gives developers essentially all of 2022 to fully launch Pokémon Sleep.