Game Freak Leaves Pokémon Behind: Beast of Reincarnation Launches Today on PS5, Xbox, and PC

Game Freak, the studio behind Pokémon for three decades, shipped something radically different today. Beast of Reincarnation, co-developed with publisher Fictions and directed by Kota Furushima, is now live worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam — and it is available from day one on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

The game is set in the year 4026, in a post-apocalyptic Japan overrun by supernatural corruption. Players control Emma the Sealer and her dog Koo as they work to cleanse the land. Despite the apocalyptic backdrop, Beast of Reincarnation is billed as a "one-person, one-dog" adventure, and that relationship is central to its design. Combat fuses real-time swordplay with command-based tactics: Emma handles melee, while parrying at precise moments triggers Koo's special skills. The loop, according to Game Informer's preview, "feels genuinely fresh."

What makes this launch remarkable is context. Game Freak has shipped Pokémon titles since Red and Blue — thirty years of hardware-constrained, portable-first design. Beast of Reincarnation is the studio's first AAA project entirely outside that franchise, and it shows a team finally working without the limitations Nintendo's handheld-focused platforms imposed. Notably, despite the long partnership, Beast of Reincarnation is not coming to any Nintendo platform.

Furushima, who previously worked on battle systems and audio for multiple Pokémon entries, spent years developing the game's core concept before Fictions came aboard as publisher. The result is something tonally unlike anything Game Freak has shipped: a third-person action RPG with a dark, mythological edge.

The review embargo lifted today at 5 PM PT. Early takes are mixed but respectful. Game Freak's ambition is not in question. Whether the execution fully delivers is — with some critics praising it as "a bold, rewarding adventure that proves Game Freak can do a lot more than just Pokémon," and others noting that it "borrows familiar ideas but struggles to make them feel fresh."

Beast of Reincarnation is priced at $59.99 on Steam and PlayStation Store. Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers can download it today at no additional cost.