Pokémon is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, and has been finding one way after another to help fans enjoy the occasion. It wasn’t long ago that Pokémon Winds and Waves were announced, or that Pokémon Pokopia and Pokemon Champions were released, but another new game has already been announced, and it’s coming out this month.
Pokémon Plakoro will be releasing on July 18, and it’s nothing like what most fans might be expecting. While Pokémon is best-known for its video games, it’s also the largest multimedia franchise in the world and, in this case, its new game isn’t a digital one, but an old-fashioned tapletop.
Pokémon Plakoro Officially Releases on July 18
On July 18, Pokémon Plakoro will be releasing exclusively in Japan. While Western fans have grown accustomed to simultaneous worldwide releases for Pokémon games since Generation VI, they shouldn’t take this as a sign that the game will never leave Asian markets.
“A Pokémon Battle Dice Game of Luck and Strategy!” is how Plakoro is described in an official X post from @plakoro_pokepla. Rather than being a fully original title, this new dice game is actually a follow-up to the original Pokémon Plakoro, released all the way back in 1997.
The 2026 edition of Pokémon Plakoro will launch with six different starter sets, each based around one popular Generation I Pokémon. Fans can choose between starter sets for Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu, Eevee, and Mew.
Starter sets for Plakoro include one character die, one energy die, 18 custom chips, one character card, seven move cards, and one instruction sheet. Launching alongside the starter sets is a singular Adventure Set, which includes Pokémon like Articuno, Zapdos, Onix, and Moltres. Future Adventure Sets are planned to release down the line.
Each Starter Set will cost approximately 990 Yen, or $6 USD. Of course, for Western fans who seek to own these sets as collector’s items, this does not factor in shipping and import costs.
Pokémon is one of the greatest media franchises in history, and it continues to be wonderful that The Pokémon Company is celebrating it the way it deserves. Those able to play Pokémon Plakaro will certainly enjoy it, and those who aren’t still have nearly half a way of other new releases and collaborations to look forward to.
- Created by
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Satoshi Tajiri
- First Film
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Pokemon: The First Movie
- Latest Film
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Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
- First TV Show
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Pokémon
- Latest TV Show
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Pokémon Horizons
- First Episode Air Date
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April 1, 1997
Expanding across a multitude of media, including TCGs, video games, manga, live-action movies and anime, the Pokémon franchise is set in a shared world of humans and creatures with a wide variety of special abilities.
