Twitch Plays Pokemon returns to Kanto in 10th anniversary celebration

The Twitch Plays Pokemon channel is promising a return to the region where it all started, as part of its upcoming 10th anniversary celebrations.

The original Twitch Plays Pokemon was a surprising viral hit from 2014, where the Twitch channel audience could play Pokemon Red via inputting commands in the chat window. It quickly established a huge and passionate fanbase, who tried to make order out of its unrelenting chaos.

Twitch Plays Pokemon inspired a whole genre of Twitch Plays games, though none of them ever reached the heights of the original, which went on to win a Guinness World Record for having “the most participants on a single-player online videogame.”

The Twitch Plays Pokemon series continued with other entries in the franchise, including fan-made hacks and games. There have also been references to the classic original run, such as Red using the same team in his Pokemon Gold boss battle. Now, after ten years visiting other regions, it is time to go home.

Twitch Plays Pokemon is returning to Kanto

The Twitch Plays Pokemon Twitter/X channel has made several announcements confirming the 10th anniversary plans for the series. It will involve a return to the Kanto region, with trailers suggesting a return to Pokemon Red & Blue.

The latest image on the channel shows the two fossils the player can find in Mt. Moon – the Dome Fossil and the Helix Fossil. These achieved memetic status in the original run, with the Helix Hossil and its Omanyte & Omastar treated as divine entities by the fanbase.

It’s unclear if this new Twitch Plays Pokemon run will differ from the original Pokemon Red or if it will include new features. The channel has had a decade of experience to call on, so there should be improvements, if not outright differences.

The channel has used altered content in the past, such as the aforementioned Red battle in Pokemon Gold, so it’s possible that there will be an altered version of the game, featuring references to the classic original storyline.

Whatever the case, fans will have the chance to return to the region that started it all. It’s hard to believe that a decade has passed since the original Twitch Plays Pokemon, but the fact that it’s still going proves that there’s still an audience for Pokemon by committee.