Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Switch remakes rumored for a February reveal

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Nintendo will reportedly announce remakes of 2006's Pokemon Diamond and Pearl next month

Pokemon
(Image credit: Team Kato)

A new rumor says the 2006 Nintendo DS games Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl are being remade for Switch, with an official announcement slated for February. This would line up nicely with rumors of a February 27 Nintendo Direct.

Pokemon Center reports that The Pokemon Company is planning to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary with Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes, which reportedly will feature capture mechanics more like the original games than the more recent Pokemon Let's Go and Pokemon Sword and Shield iterations.

This isn't the first we've heard of potential Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes, but it is the first suggestion of a reveal date. Late last year we reported on a series of tweets from noted leaker Kelios claiming the Switch remakes would release in November 2021, which would be a realistic release window if the rumor is accurate and the announcement comes next month.

The Pokemon community has been anticipating Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes for a while now. It's been over a year since Pokemon Sword and Shield released, and since Red and Blue, Gold and Silver, and Sapphire and Ruby have all been remade, it seems inevitable for Nintendo to give Gen 4 a fresh coat of paint.

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl introduced the mountainous Sinnoh region as well as a bunch of new world features and gameplay mechanics. There was the Pokemon Watch, which you can beef up with apps you find throughout the game, as well as the Underground, an area built for online multiplayer where you could create and decorate bases and play mini-games. 

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.