The next Pokémon looks a bit like Minecraft

A new Pokemon spinoff is on the way, and it looks very different than any other entry in the long-running franchise. In fact, it looks a little bit like Minecraft - and it's called Pokemon Pokopia.

The game has players controlling a Ditto that has taken on the form of a human, which means that it's a little cute and also a little creepy. The goal of the game is to shape an empty landscape into a suitable home for some pokemon. That means taming the wilderness, growing crops, and also using a bunch of classic pokemon moves to make it all happen. The visuals look like a mix of the structured form of a Minecraft game with the cutesy characters and tone of Pokemon. Given those are two of the biggest franchises in gaming, it sounds - on paper at least - like a winning mix.

Pokopia is launching on the Nintendo Switch some time in 2026.