The Pokemon franchise has had an incredible year, beating out some of the biggest names in the anime and gaming industry to become Japan’s most wide-reaching entertainment brand.
Pokemon has always been one of, if not the biggest, franchises in the world. This is due to its dominance across multiple forms of media, with the games, anime, comics, movies, and merchandise all doing huge numbers, competing with the likes of Disney and Warner Bros.
Despite no mainline Pokemon games launching in 2024, the series still did incredible business. According to Otaku Soken (via Automaton Media), Pokemon is Japan’s biggest entertainment brand of 2024, beating the likes of Genshin Impact and One Piece in terms of reach.
Pokemon is Japan’s biggest entertainment franchise of 2024
The rankings are determined by how the franchise reaches people on a day-to-day basis. In the case of Pokemon, the bulk of this was done via mobile games, with Pokemon Go still printing money and drawing crowds worldwide.
However, the game that propelled Pokemon’s 2024 was Pokemon TCG Pocket, which has already made millions of dollars since launch and whose growing competitive scene has become a focal point of discussion for fans online.
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The Pokemon franchise does continue in other sectors, as the Pokemon Horizons anime is still ongoing, while Pokemon Scarlet & Violet rank among the Nintendo Switch’s best-selling games.
If Pokemon Pocket maintains its momentum, then next year will be even bigger, as Pokemon Legends Z-A and the successor to the Nintendo Switch are launching in 2025. Not only that, but 2026 marks the franchise’s 30th anniversary, so big things will be happening then.
Pokemon Pocket helped save what was otherwise a dry year for the Pokemon franchise. The game has captured the imagination of fans worldwide, and it’s not surprising to see it become a hit in Japan. It goes to show just how beloved the Pokemon franchise is and how it can still rise even further in the future.
