Game Freak, the studio behind Pokémon, has signed a deal with publisher Private Division to make a new “action-adventure IP” codenamed Project Bloom.
Although best known as the creator of the Pokémon franchise, Japanese studio Game Freak has come up with all kinds of other, lesser-known titles over its 34-year history, from Mega Drive platformer Pulseman in the 1990s to physics-based puzzler Giga Wrecker Alt to cutesy RPG Little Town Hero.
To that list of non-Pokémon titles we can now add Project Bloom – a “brand new action-adventure IP”. Announced by publisher Private Division, the new project appears to be a samurai game of some sort, if the first bit of concept art is anything to go by. The artwork shows a lone warrior standing in shallow water at the foot of an ancient-looking tree, while the glow of what appear to be fireflies blanket the scene. It’s not much to go on, but hints at a more mature tone than much of Game Freak’s previous output.
“From the beginning, Private Division was the publisher we wanted to work with on our new game,” said Game Freak director Kota Furushima in an accompanying press release. “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.”
Credit: Private Division/Game Freak.
Michael Worosz, the boss of Private Division, was similarly effusive about Game Freak. “Over the past three decades, you’d be hard pressed to find a studio which has released more iconic hits than Game Freak,” Worosz said. “We’re ready to help Game Freak unleash their potential and we’re honoured to be the first Western publisher to work alongside this exceptionally talented and proven team to bring a bold new IP to market.”
Further details about Project Bloom are currently in short supply, and may continue to be for some time; Private Division notes that the game doesn’t have a release date, but is expected to emerge at some point in 2026.
