"Only a few weeks after the release of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, fans learned that the franchise's new cozy game, Pokemon Pokopia, is coming in early 2026. However, Pokopia will only be given a physical release as a Game-Key Card, rather than a cartridge with the full game. That's proven to be a controversial topic among Switch 2 players, some of whom are angry enough that they claim they'll skip Pokopia entirely."
"Unlike digital releases, fans are able to resell Game-Key cards. But for players who prefer to own the complete game on a cartridge, it's viewed as Nintendo breaking its pledge not to publish its own games that way. The game was developed by Koei Tecmo's Omega Force, so technically Nintendo hasn't broken that promise. However, not everyone sees it that way."
"Nintendo introduced Game-Key Cards alongside the Switch 2 in part as a way to mitigate the size restrictions of Switch 2 cartridges. The only thing on the card is a digital license that allows the player to download the game directly to their Switch 2. This differs from a digital purchase in that the Game-Key Card needs to be in the console for the game to play, but it's also transferable to a new owner if the player who purchased it no longer wants it."
Pokemon Pokopia will release on March 5, 2026 for Switch 2. The physical edition will be a Game-Key Card that provides a digital license for downloading the full game to the console instead of containing the game data on a cartridge. The Game-Key Card must be inserted to play and can be resold or transferred to another owner. Nintendo introduced Game-Key Cards with Switch 2 to address cartridge size limitations. Pokopia was developed by Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force. Nintendo of Japan confirmed the Game-Key format and a new trailer with over ten minutes of gameplay will debut November 13. Fan reaction has been mixed.
Read at GameSpot
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