Game Freak, the Nintendo studio behind the mainline Pokemon series of video games, is expanding by hiring new staff members. The company has been at the forefront of most of the mainline Pokemon games for decades (and some notable spin-offs) but now it looks like the company is expanding ahead of the inevitable arrival of the next console from Nintendo and successor to the Switch.
As spotted by Siliconera, Game Freak recently put out several new job listings seeking new talents to work at the Pokemon studio. Roles mentioned in the job call include planner, designer, project manager, programmer, research and development, technical artist and back office, with other open roles in between. Applicants for the main positions need to have at least three years of relevant experience working in the gaming industry, it seems.
Game Freak’s job listings arrive ahead of the announcement of the Nintendo Switch successor, which Nintendo says will be officially revealed before the end of the year. It’s possible that Game Freak is gearing up for some large-scale Pokemon games for the new hardware (while also working on Pokemon Legends: Z-A which was already announced earlier this year).
Recent mainline Pokemon games such as Sword/Shield and Scarlet/Violet have faced backlash for being rushed and underdeveloped. Considering that Game Freak is a relatively small team when compared to most AAA companies, it makes sense that the studio would want to beef up its staff for future entries. As Nintendo’s hardware evolves, it means that future Pokemon games may need more attention and care put into development, especially with better visuals and gameplay elements.
The next mainline Pokemon game hasn’t been announced yet but fans speculate that a reveal could happen before the end of the year to coincide with the launch of the next Nintendo console, or possibly arrive within its first year on the market.
Source: Siliconera
