2026 is the 30th Anniversary of My Two Favorite Gaming Franchises, But I’m Prepared to Be Disappointed by 1 of Them

It’s safe to say that 30 years later, both franchises are titans of the industry, despite looking very different from how they did when they debuted. I’m sure both Atlus and The Pokemon Company have a lot planned to celebrate such a momentous anniversary in 2026, but I’m more confident in one franchise’s show than I am the other. Pokemon is in a position to launch its 10th generation of games, but a new mainline Persona game still feels like a pipe dream, even as a 30th anniversary celebration.

Pokemon and Persona Both Turn 30 in 2026

As it turns out, 1996 was a huge year for JRPGs with both the original Pokemon Red and Green and Revelations: Persona releasing only a few months apart. Although Pokemon wouldn’t be released in North America until 1998 (as Pokemon Red and Blue), the original Persona‘s Western release was only a few months after its Japanese debut. Despite this two-year gap between its Japanese and Western releases, Pokemon‘s anniversary is still celebrated on February 27, usually with a Pokemon Day Direct, and this year seems no different.

The Future of the Pokemon Series in 2026 Seems Bright

The Pokemon series has historically been far more consistent with its games and how it releases information related to them than Persona. As someone who has kept up with the series for decades at this point, I’ve gotten pretty used to the yearly release cycle for the Pokemon series. Although last year’s Pokemon Legends: Z-A was the first mainline Pokemon game since 2022’s Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the franchise has been fairly consistent with yearly releases for the better part of a decade. With this in mind, I’m fairly confident we’ll see a Pokemon Direct this February with information about the next mainline generation of games that will likely release later this year.

Image via The Pokemon Company

Pokemon Gen 10 Leaks Reveal Wild New Direction for the Series, Likely Releasing in 2026

Releasing Gen 10 for the Pokemon series’ 30th anniversary makes perfect sense; it’s a monumental occasion on both ends, so The Pokemon Company will likely want to go all out. The massive TeraLeak of Pokemon documents last year revealed some of the plans for these games, allegedly titled Pokemon Wind and Waves, and taking place in an island-based region modeled after Indonesia. The leaked feature I’m most intrigued about is the supposed procedurally generated islands that players will be able to explore. I’m imagining something like No Man’s Sky but for islands, which could be a total game-changer for post-game exploration in the Pokemon series.

Even without a firm confirmation that Pokemon Gen 10 is coming in 2026, there are already some revolutionary Pokemon games slated for release in the coming year. Pokemon Pokopia is first on the docket, a spin-off game where players take on the role of a Ditto to help other mons build a thriving community with a cozy, life-sim vibe. As a competitive Pokemon fan, I’m most excited about Pokemon Champions, which is expected to be an official battle simulator game that can be played on the Switch, Switch 2, and mobile devices. Both of these games would take the series into uncharted territory, and the confirmation of Gen 10 would round out a thrilling 30th anniversary for fans like myself.

Persona’s 2026 Plans Are a Wild Card

While the Persona series seems to have several projects cooking at the moment, official information about them is very scarce. Unlike Pokemon, the Persona series doesn’t tend to share information consistently, making it difficult to predict when fans can expect to hear updates on projects in the works. Sega has announced that it plans to release Persona content yearly, with Persona 3 Reload and the mobile spin-off Persona 5: The Phantom X releasing over the past 2 years. However, it’s unclear what the franchise has in store for 2026, and I’m starting to temper my expectations to avoid disappointment.

Persona 4 Revival Seems Too Far Off for a 2026 Release

The one Persona game that has been confirmed to be in development is a remake of Persona 4, titled Persona 4 Revival. The game was revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 last summer, but it was only a brief teaser with little gameplay shown or a release window given. Persona 4 Revival also caught some criticism for the game’s rough state in its reveal trailer, suggesting that the game is still in early development and won’t be released for a few more years. This makes it unlikely that Persona 4 Revival will be the franchise’s 2026 release.

I Don’t Expect to See Persona 6 Anytime Soon

Aside from P4R, the elephant in the room with the Persona series is the whereabouts of Persona 6. 2026 will mark a full decade since Persona 5 was released, with no sequel to be seen. Many fans expected Persona 6 to get an official reveal during the franchise’s 25th anniversary back in 2021, and it’s very likely 2026 could come and go without hide nor hair of the game. There have been numerous leaks and rumors surrounding Persona 6 over the years, from a dual protagonist story to an art school setting, yet nothing concrete has been confirmed for the game.

Like Pokemon Gen 10, the 30th anniversary of the Persona franchise would be the perfect time to unveil the next entry in the series. However, the avenues for this reveal are scarce, with the most likely event being either an Xbox showcase or Summer Game Fest 2026. The more time that passes without a Persona 6 announcement, the less confident I am that we will ever see the game. For that reason, I’m not going to hold my breath for Persona 6 in 2026, and it will be a pleasant surprise if it does end up getting announced this year.

Systems

Released

October 16, 2025

ESRB

Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases

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