What Is Pokémon Legends Celebi? The Rumored Arceus Sequel Explained
"Pokémon Scarlet" and "Pokémon Violet" may have made history for "Pokémon," but for some devoted fans of the franchise, the true standout title of 2022 was "Pokémon Legends: Arceus." This Nintendo Switch game dared to do what many previous entries in the prolific series didn't, shaking up "Pokémon's" core formula and mechanics, and rebuilding it into an ambitious semi-open world action RPG.
For all that "Pokémon Legends: Arceus" changed, however, a lot of its innovation didn't necessarily stick. "Pokémon Scarlet" and "Pokémon Violet" retained certain elements, expanding the game's large open zones into one cohesive open world and still allowing players to manually throw Poké Balls in the overworld, but it also left a lot of what "Pokémon Legends: Arceus" brought to the table behind. However, it seems that some fans are convinced that the "Pokémon Legends" formula is set to make a big return through a rumored project known as "Pokémon Legends: Celebi." Here's what we know so far.
Pokémon Legends: Celebi is a Johto prequel
"Pokémon Legends: Celebi" is the tentative name fans have given to a rumored project that would serve both as a sequel to "Pokémon Legends: Arceus" and a prequel to the classic Gen 2 games "Pokémon Gold," "Pokémon Silver," and "Pokémon Crystal."
Fans expect that the rumored title would offer a return to the Johto region, which hasn't been traversable in a mainline "Pokémon" game since "Pokémon HeartGold" and "Pokémon SoulSilver" on the Nintendo DS in 2010. However, the title would feature a radically different version of Johto, as it would take place in the distant past of the Pokémon world — similar to "Pokémon Legends: Arceus." Of course, it would naturally feature a lot of the Gen 2 Pokémon missing from "Pokémon Legends: Arceus" as well.
Further in keeping with "Pokémon Legends: Arceus," fans believe the new game would reintegrate all of its series-redefining action-RPG mechanics, such as being able to manually throw Poké Balls and having to dodge attacks from enraged Pokémon. Per its name, the narrative would revolve around the mythical time traveler Pokémon Celebi, and the game would feature new perspectives on many of the classic myths spread throughout Johto in the original games.
Is Pokémon Legends: Celebi a real game?
At the time of publishing, there's no official confirmation that "Pokémon Legends: Celebi" exists, nor is there any strong indication that such a project is in the works. While a couple of purported leaks have suggested that "Pokémon Legends: Celebi" is coming, the idea hasn't received backing from any of the more established industry insiders and leakers. Rather, it seems that rumors of the game mostly stem from fans' hopes that such a game is in development, fueled in turn by alluring fan creations that offer a glimpse into what the project could look like.
In mid-2022, YouTuber and "Pokémon" fan creator YassiR uploaded a nearly three-minute video showcasing their concept for "Pokémon Legends: Celebi." Considering its fan-made origins, the concept video is quite impressive in scope, depicting the colorful landscapes of the Johto region in full-fledged 3D and featuring Pokémon variants similar to the Hisuian forms from "Pokémon Legends: Arceus." The concept is compelling to fans, but there's no confirmation that a "Pokémon Legends" sequel would adhere to this format.
While there's no official word on "Pokémon Legends" follow-up, it's certainly a possibility. "Pokémon Legends: Arceus" was both a critical and commercial success, so it stands to reason that The Pokémon Company could be keen to continue this iteration. As for whether such a game would be set in Johto and revolve around Celebi, that's all just speculation for now.