Digimon Story: Time Stranger Must Beat Pokemon to Dominate 2025

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After a longer wait than many fans anticipated, a fresh Digimon Story game is in the works at last. The upcoming title, Digimon Story: Time Stranger, is set to be the latest addition to the turn-based Digimon subseries, arriving roughly eight years after the initial Japanese debut of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory. Over this period, only one console Digimon game was released – Digimon Survive – which unfortunately fell short of the lofty expectations set by its series of delays. Nevertheless, Digimon Story: Time Stranger seems poised to hark back to the series’ former glory.

The 2025 Digimon Convention unveiled “Digimon Story: Time Stranger” in February of the same year, and since then, the game has already showcased a few trailers and numerous setting details. With over 450 distinct Digimon species, this game promises an unprecedented opportunity for players to interact with them in stunning 3D graphics. The story unfolds across multiple timelines, encompassing both past and future, as well as the realms of humans and Digimon. “Digimon Story: Time Stranger” is the most ambitious title yet within its series and perhaps the entire Digimon franchise. Eager fans eagerly anticipate its release, but there’s another compelling reason for its timely arrival: excitement isn’t the only factor driving fan enthusiasm!

Digimon Story: Time Stranger Can’t Afford To Fade Into The Background

Based on the limited gameplay demonstrations available so far, it’s hard to determine the current development stage of “Digimon Story: Time Stranger.” However, we know that the game has been in development for at least three years and is expected to focus on the Olympos XII Digimon group. Initial planning phases were reportedly underway as early as 2017 or 2018, even before “Digimon Survive” experienced its first delay. Although nothing is certain, it’s possible that “Digimon Story: Time Stranger” might be released soon, which would be beneficial considering the upcoming competition in the gaming industry.

Pokemon Is Putting Serious Time Pressure On Digimon Story: Time Stranger

The spotlight is once again on monster-collecting games, and it’s not just because Digimon is back. Pokemon is gearing up for the release of its final major Nintendo Switch title, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and speculations about the upcoming tenth generation Pokemon games on the Nintendo Switch 2 are already buzzing. Given Pokemon’s dominant position in the industry, it would be unwise for Digimon to launch around the same time as Pokemon, especially considering the latter’s market dominance. If Digimon: Time Stranger follows a similar team-based format as previous Digimon Story games, it should still attract its dedicated fanbase, but it might not be strategic to compete directly with a potential sales giant like Pokemon.

When It Would Be Best For Digimon Story: Time Stranger To Launch

Digimon Story: Time Stranger Needs To Beat Pokemon To The Punch

Currently, there’s no set release schedule for these games, but considering Game Freak’s history of releasing major Pokemon titles in mid-November for over a decade (even the remakes), it’s reasonable to speculate when the new Pokemon releases might occur. The only deviation from this pattern was Pokemon Legends: Arceus launching in January 2022, which could be due to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl already occupying the November slot. Given that it seems Game Freak needs to plan carefully to avoid clashing with Pokemon Legends, Digimon Story: Time Stranger may aim for a summer 2025 release date to steer clear of its competition.

Releasing Digimon Story: Time Stranger after a new Pokemon game could make it an even more challenging endeavor to capture attention. Unlike typical Pokemon games, Digimon Story stands apart, but its release date remains uncertain in terms of when it would follow the tenth generation of Pokemon if not launched in 2025. A traditional Pokemon game is guaranteed to outsell a Legends title, which means it will have greater influence over the limelight that Digimon Story needs. With possible unknown spin-offs from Pokemon targeting the Nintendo Switch 2’s inaugural year on shelves, Digimon Story: Time Stranger should aim for an early release to maximize its chances.

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2025-03-27 21:35