Pokémon company eyes 10,000 species, teases rotating pool for pvp

The Pokémon Company is already planning for a future where the pocket monster count reaches a staggering 10,000. Currently, there are 1,025 species, including the three new starters unveiled for next year's Switch games Pokémon Winds and Waves.

Pokémon champions to offer rotating creature roster

Developer Masaaki Hoshino revealed that modern mainline games only include a subset of the total Pokémon due to balancing challenges. In Pokémon Champions, the new PvP platform, the issue will be tackled by offering a rotating selection of creatures, with new species replacing others over time.

According to Hoshino, the goal is to have a constantly shifting meta-game, with the available Pokémon changing as time goes on. This approach will allow Pokémon Champions to continue indefinitely, as long as the Pokémon series endures.

With each generation adding approximately 100 new species, the franchise's menagerie is likely to swell to over 1,100 unique creatures by 2027. Pokémon may reach 2,000 by 2048 and 10,000 by the mid-2200s if the current pace continues.