On Tuesday, 9 May 2023, Private Division, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc’s publishing label announced that it was partnering with Game Freak (the studio behind the popular Pokémon franchise) to publish a new title.
Game Freak was founded in 1989 and has created dozens of popular games including over 30 entries on the Pokémon franchise. Pokémon still holds the reputation as one of the bestselling video game series of all time. The new action-adventure intellectual property (IP) that Private Division will publish from Game Freak is codenamed, Project Bloom.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to create new IP that is bold and tonally different from our prior works,” said Kota Furushima, Director at Game Freak. “From the beginning, Private Division was the publisher we want to work with on our new game. Their track record and global expertise give us all the confidence to create a sweeping new action-adventure game that we can’t wait to share more about in the future.”
To celebrate the collaboration, the two companies unveiled the first piece of concept art from the upcoming game. Project Bloom is still in early development and there is no set release date yet. However, it is anticipated that its launch will be around Take-Two’s Fiscal Year 2026.
“Over the past three decades, you’d be hard-pressed to find a studio that has released more iconic hits than Game Freak,” said Michael Worosz, Chief Strategy Officer, Take-Two Interactive, and Head of Private Division. “We’re ready to help Game Freak unleash their potential and we’re honored to be the first Western publisher to work alongside this exceptionally talented and proven team to bring a bold new IP to market.”
Why Private Division and Game Freak’s Partnership is a big deal
As mentioned earlier, Game Freak is the creator of the Pokémon franchise. As of March 2022, official records show that the Pokémon franchise has sold over 297 million units across the globe. This is the largest-ever cumulative sale for an RPG.
The series was so popular that it got a movie adaptation. Apart from the movie adaptation, it has been adapted into anime, card games, and other merchandise that is shipped across the globe. Recently, Game Freak is trying to move away from the shadows of the successful Pokémon franchise with the development of new titles.
Private Division, on the other hand, is a developer-focused publisher that collaborates with the best creative talent in the industry. Private Division holds the reputation of empowering studios to develop games that they are passionate about.
The publisher is behind popular games from a wide range of developers including After Us from Piccolo Studio, Rollerdrome and OlliOlli World from Roll7, The Outer Worlds from Obsidian Entertainment, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey from Panache Digital Games, Kerbal Space Program franchise, and so much more.
Private Division also has myriads of yet-to-be-announced projects currently in work with Wētā Workshop, Yellow Brick Games, Evening Star, Moon Studios, and other independent developers. The publisher is also building its internal studio capacity with Intercept Games and Roll7 as internal developers for Private Division.
Private Division has its headquarters in New York City with offices in Las Vegas, Seattle, Singapore, and Munich. To stay informed about the publisher’s announcement, consider signing up for their newsletter at https://www.privatedivision.com/newsletter/
Private Division has been promoting its upcoming game, After US
After Us from Piccolo Studio and Private Division is due for release on 23 May 2023 on PlayStation 5. The game allows you to play as Gaia, the Spirit of Life, and navigate through a devastated world to try and salvage the souls of extinct animals.
“Revive these creatures after learning their final fate: the last whale harpooned, the final eagle caged, the last deer hunted down, and more, while you survive encounters with dangerous, oil-covered Devourers that roam the wasteland in search of remaining life,” read the game’s description on Steam.
After Us is an emotional game that creates awareness of the devastation done to planet Earth and why we should urgently work to fix it before it is too late.
Are you excited about the upcoming game from Private Division and Game Freak? What kind of game do you think it would be? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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