Highlights
- New gameplay of Beast of Reincarnation highlights Game Freak’s strategic move beyond Pokémon into an original IP.
- Set in post-apocalyptic Japan, the game blends sci-fi storytelling with action RPG mechanics.
- It features a complex narrative, a multi-layered combat system, and high-octane action.
Japanese studio Game Freak, best known for its decades-long stewardship of the Pokémon franchise, has offered a deeper look at Beast of Reincarnation, its upcoming action role-playing game. The new footage, unveiled on Jan 23, 2026, expands on mechanics and narrative ambition, reinforcing the title’s position as Game Freak’s most substantial original project outside its flagship franchise.
The upcoming title aligns Game Freak’s effort to create original games beyond the Pokémon titles, hinting that Beast of Reincarnation is a deliberate expansion rather than a side experiment. The studio has described the game as a culmination of ideas that had been incubating internally for six years.
Originally announced under the codename Project Bloom, the title is now formally known as Beast of Reincarnation, and will be published by Fictions.
Beast of Reincarnation Gameplay and Narrative
The game is directed by Kota Furushima, who started the development under Game Freak’s Gear Project, an initiative “to make original IP within the company,” informed Furushima, during an interview with IGN.
The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world of Japan, in the year 4046. Furushima emphasized that he is a fan of sci-fi and “wanted to create this new world that no one had seen before.” The narrative is built around an “exiled protagonist,” Emma, and her wolf/dog companion, Koo. Players can pet Koo as a part of the gameplay.
In the game, Emma fights with creatures called Malefact and Nushi, “the bosses in the game,” in a journey to defeat the “ultimate presence in the game,” the Beast of Reincarnation itself.
Furushima stated that defeating Nushi can unlock new abilities for Emma, and it is also a “way to sort of weaken the Beast of Reincarnation.” Koo also works as a combat partner in the game.
“The command menu for Koo can be opened at any time,” however, the players need to pull off parries to earn points for unlocking Koo’s abilities, Furushima informed in a statement to GamesRader+. As for Emma, if she parries with an enemy and wins, she can use powerful techniques known as Blooming Arts.
The game is positioned as “one-person, one-dog action-RPG,” and offers a seamless movement “between action and command-based combat.”
Game Freak’s latest showcase of Beast of Reincarnation also reflects a structural shift for the developer. The company has previously created small-scale games such as Tembo the Badass Elephant, Giga Wrecker, and HarmoKnight. The upcoming title appears to be more ambitious with a complex narrative, a multi-layered combat system, and high-octane action.
