Game Freak's Beast of Reincarnation gets new gameplay, release window

Pokémon dev's new action game arrives in 2026

Players got a much closer look at Beast of Reincarnation during Thursday's Xbox Developer Direct, with a dedicated segment during the show in which developers at Game Freak offered insight into the world of the intense RPG. The segment showed off several of the game's core mechanics, as well announcing a summer 2026 release window.

Beast of Reincarnation was formally announced during the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2025, surprising some fans who are largely familiar with developer Game Freak because of their work on the Pokémon franchise. But the project dates back to 2023, when Game Freak and Private Division (now known as Fictions Inc.) revealed the game as Project Bloom. Set in the year 4026 in a post-apocalyptic Japan, Beast of Reincarnation follows protagonist Emma and her dog Koo on a quest to kill the titular beast.

This isn't Game Freak's first non-Pokémon endeavor, however, having previously releasing games like Little Town Hero, Giga Wrecker, and Drill Dozer.

The dedicated segment during the Xbox Developer Direct showed off several of the game's core mechanics, like Emma's plant manipulation abilities, how her gameplay intertwines with Koo, and the enemies they'll face together. 4026 Japan is infected with a parasitic force called blight, which has in turn created "malefacts" — creatures that are a fusion of plants and animals. The most powerful malefacts are called nushi, incredibly large creatures that can summon a blighted forest and completely change the environment. Emma and Koo will also encounter golems, robots created with the purpose of storing human souls. Over thousands of years, those souls have deteriorated, making them dangerous.

Emma has the ability to absorb the blight from these creatures, an intimidating power that has left her isolated from the rest of society. Defeating nushi will imbue Emma with special powers derived from the blight, in turn making her stronger — a necessity if she wants to defeat the Beast of Reincarnation. However, it's not only Emma that gains strength over the course of the game; Koo has a skill tree alongside Emma where players will refine their complementary abilities, and can equip more skills as their bond grows. These skills, paired with Spirit Stones that enhance weapons, can be used to customize both characters for different play styles, like stealth or ranged.

Plants are both a key part of the landscape and a core mechanic in gameplay, as Emma and Koo have the power to manipulate them for combat and traversal. The teamwork between Emma and Koo is key to success in combat — for example, when Emma performs a successful parry, power will build in Koo, allowing Emma to perform special moves called Blooming Arts. After utilizing the Blooming Arts, time will momentarily slow down, offering players a choice of attacks in a manner similar to turn-based combat. Even outside of combat, the bond between Emma and Koo is paramount, with both of them influencing one another throughout the one-person one-dog action RPG.

Beast of Reincarnation will come out this summer for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. It'll also be available via Game Pass at launch.