Game Freak

2025-10-27T01:45:28Z

2800:2163:2080:619:395B:E014:12FD:9A52: /* Games */

{{Short description|Japanese video game developer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox company
| name = Game Freak Inc.
| logo = Game Freak logo.svg
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| image = KANDA SQUARE 2023-05-18.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Headquarters in [[Chiyoda, Tokyo]]
| native_name = 株式会社ゲームフリーク
| native_name_lang = ja
| romanized_name = ''Gēmu Furīku''
| former_name =
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| genre = [[Video game development]]
| fate =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| founded = {{Start date and age|1989|04|26}} in Tokyo, Japan
| founders = {{Unbulleted list
| [[Satoshi Tajiri]]
| [[Ken Sugimori]]
}}
| defunct =
| hq_location = Kanda Square, 2-2-1 Kandanishiki-cho
| hq_location_city = [[Chiyoda, Tokyo]]
| hq_location_country = Japan
| num_locations = 1
| num_locations_year = 2020
| area_served =
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list
| Satoshi Tajiri {{Small|([[President (corporate title)|president]])}}
| Tetsuya Watanabe {{Small|(managing director)}}
| [[Shigeru Ohmori]] {{Small|(senior director)}}
| Ken Sugimori {{Small|([[art director]])}}
}}
| products = ''[[Pokémon (video game series)|Pokémon]]'' series
| brands =
| owner =
| num_employees = 207
| num_employees_year = 2024
| parent =
| subsid =
| website = {{URL|https://www.gamefreak.co.jp/}}
| footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|title=会社概要｜GAME FREAK 株式会社ゲームフリーク｜GAME FREAK 株式会社ゲームフリーク|url=https://www.gamefreak.co.jp/|access-date=2020-07-04|website=GAME FREAK 株式会社ゲームフリークオフィシャルサイト|language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=GAME FREAK Secret Base for GAME FREAK's 30th Anniversary {{!}} GAME FREAK|url=https://www.gamefreak.co.jp/town/30th/en/|access-date=2020-07-04|website=GAME FREAK Secret Base for GAME FREAK's 30th Anniversary {{!}} GAME FREAK|language=en}}</ref>
}}

{{Nihongo foot|'''Game Freak Inc.'''|株式会社ゲームフリーク|Kabushiki gaisha Gēmu Furīku|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a Japanese [[video game developer]], best known as the primary developer and co-owners of the ''[[Pokémon (video game series)|Pokémon]]'' series of [[role-playing video game]]s.

==History==


Predating the video game company, ''Game Freak'' was a self-published [[Video game journalism|video game magazine]] created by [[Satoshi Tajiri]] and [[Ken Sugimori]] in the 1980s. The first issue was published in 1983 by Tajiri.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://niwanetwork.org/wiki/images/c/c5/Game_Freak_Vol._1.png |title=ポケモンをつくった男田尻智 |trans-title=Satoshi Tajiri: A Man Who Created Pokémon |publisher= 太田出版|page= |isbn=978-4872338331 |year=2004 |author1=宮昌太朗 |author2=田尻智 }}</ref> Sugimori would join the magazine at a later date as an illustrator after finding the magazine in a shop and liking it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210118225356/http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/#selection-575.1-575.456 |title=Interview: Tajiri and Ishihara on Pokemon's Beginnings |quote=Dr Lava’s notes: Before it was a video game company, Game Freak was a gaming magazine Tajiri hand-wrote and stapled together from home in the early 1980’s. |archive-date=2021-01-18 |date=2020-11-25 |access-date=2021-12-06}}</ref> Tajiri also used "Game Freak" as his pen name when he wrote as a freelance writer to publications such as ''Family Computer Magazine'' and ''[[Famitsu|Famicom Tsūshin]]''.<ref name=famimaga198901>{{cite journal|journal=Family Computer Magazine|script-title=ja:ぼくたちゲーセン野郎|language=ja|author=Satoshi Tajiri|url=https://twitter.com/chou_nosuke/status/606052702246666241|date=January 6, 1989|pages=114–115|access-date=November 29, 2015|author-link=Satoshi Tajiri}}</ref><ref name=famitsu198604>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Famitsu|Biweekly Famicom Journal]]|script-title=ja:ビデヲゲーム通信|language=ja|author=Satoshi Tajiri|url=https://twitter.com/chou_nosuke/status/612229058202505216/photo/1|date=August 1, 1986|access-date=November 29, 2015|author-link=Satoshi Tajiri}}</ref>

On April 26, 1989, Tajiri and Sugimori started a video game development company with the same name.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.wired.com/2010/04/pokemon-creators-fanzine-fetches-high-price/ | magazine=Wired | first=Chris | last=Kohler | title=Pokémon Creators' Fanzine Fetches High Price | date=April 19, 2010 | access-date=November 16, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gifford|first=Kevin|date=April 7, 2008|title=COLUMN: 'Game Mag Weaseling': Just Checking In |url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/04/column_game_mag_weaseling_just.php|publisher=GameSetWatch|access-date=November 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412172635/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/04/column_game_mag_weaseling_just.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 12, 2008}}</ref> One of Game Freak's first games was the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] action and puzzle game ''Quinty'', which was released in North America as ''[[Mendel Palace]]''. Its most popular series, ''[[Pokémon (video game series)|Pokémon]]''—the [[Romanization of Japanese|romanized]] [[portmanteau]] of the Japanese brand {{nihongo|''Pocket Monsters''|ポケットモンスター|Poketto Monsutā}}<ref name=GTPokedex>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=6531 |title=The Pokemon Series Pokedex |date=March 22, 2007 |access-date=November 16, 2010 |last=Swider |first=Matt |website=Gaming Target }}</ref>—is published and distributed respectively by [[The Pokémon Company]] and [[Nintendo]] worldwide.

In October 2015, Game Freak acquired Koa Games, a mobile development company.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gamnesia.com/pokemon-developer-game-freak-has-purchased-a-mobile-game-development-compan/|title=Pokémon Developer Game Freak Has Purchased a Mobile Game Development Company|date=October 27, 2015|website=Gamnesia|last=Lamoreux|first=Ben|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523102155/https://gamnesia.com/pokemon-developer-game-freak-has-purchased-a-mobile-game-development-compan/}}</ref> The company was subsequently merged into Game Freak on December 1, 2015.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.houjin-bangou.nta.go.jp/henkorireki-johoto.html?selHouzinNo=6010901003730 | title=（法人名）の情報｜国税庁法人番号公表サイト }}</ref>

In May 2019, Game Freak director Masayuki Onoue revealed that Game Freak is increasingly prioritizing original game creation, in order to grow the experience of its staff.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/game-freak-prioritising-original-game-projects/|title=Game Freak 'prioritising' original game projects|last=Robinson |first=Andy |publisher=[[Video Games Chronicle]] |date=May 22, 2019 |access-date=June 27, 2023}}</ref> The company's Gear Project initiative, which encourages creators to pitch original game ideas during quiet periods, has so far resulted in original games ''[[HarmoKnight]]'', ''[[Pocket Card Jockey]]'', ''[[Tembo the Badass Elephant]]'' and ''[[Giga Wrecker]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/interviews/game-freak-were-trying-to-create-something-more-than-pokemon/|title=Game Freak interview: 'We're trying to create something more than Pokémon'|last=Robinson |first=Andy |publisher=[[Video Games Chronicle]]|date=July 8, 2019|access-date=June 27, 2023}}</ref>

In February 2020, Game Freak relocated their headquarters to Kanda Square, an office building in [[Nishikichō]] shared with Nintendo's Tokyo branch.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.siliconera.com/pokemon-developer-game-freak-office-is-moving-closer-to-nintendos-headquarters/|title=Game Freak Is Moving Closer to Nintendo's Headquarters|date=February 3, 2020|website=[[Siliconera]]|last=Sahdev|first=Ishaan|language=en|access-date=June 27, 2023}}</ref>

In October 2024, nearly a terabyte of data from Game Freak's [[server (computing)|servers]] was stolen. Development [[software build|builds]], [[source code]], and test [[sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] either planned or released for past ''Pokémon'' games were found, as well as [[code names]] for upcoming ''Pokémon'' games, and prototypes of unreleased remakes of ''Quinty'' and ''[[Yoshi (video game)|Yoshi]]''.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web | last=McFerran | first=Damien | title=Unreleased Yoshi's Egg Remake For Nintendo DS Breaks Cover Online | website=Time Extension | date=October 16, 2024 | url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/10/unreleased-yoshis-egg-remake-for-nintendo-ds-breaks-cover-online | access-date=October 17, 2024}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, Game Freak addressed the incident, stating that the leak was due to "unauthorized access to our servers by a third party", which had taken place in August 2024.<ref name=":0" /> They also stated that many employees' [[Doxing|personal information]] had been leaked.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Welsh |first=Oli |date=2024-10-14 |title=Pokémon developer Game Freak suffers massive data leak |url=https://www.polygon.com/news/465710/pokemon-game-freak-leak-hack |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241014175815/https://www.polygon.com/news/465710/pokemon-game-freak-leak-hack |archive-date=2024-10-14 |access-date=2024-10-14 |work=Polygon |language=en}}</ref>

==Games==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of video games developed by Game Freak
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Publisher
! scope="col" | Platform(s)
|-
|1989
| scope="row" |''[[Mendel Palace]]''
| [[Namco]]JP, [[Hudson Soft]]NA
| [[Nintendo Entertainment System]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |1991
| scope="row" |''[[Smart Ball]]''
| [[Epic Records Japan|Epic/Sony Records]]JP, [[Sony Imagesoft]]NA
| [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]
|-
| scope="row" |''[[Yoshi (video game)|Yoshi]]''
| [[Nintendo]]
| NES, [[Game Boy]]
|-
|1992
| scope="row" |''[[Magical Taruruto-kun (Mega Drive game)|Magical★Tarurūto-kun]]''
| [[Sega]]
| [[Mega Drive]]
|-
|1993
| scope="row" |''[[Mario & Wario]]''
|Nintendo||Super Famicom
|-
| rowspan="2" |1994
| scope="row" |''[[Nontan to Issho: KuruKuru Puzzle]]''
|[[Victor Entertainment]]||Game Boy, Super Famicom
|-
| scope="row" |''[[Pulseman]]''
|Sega||Mega Drive
|-
| rowspan="3" |1996
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Red and Green|''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'']]
|Nintendo||Game Boy
|-
| scope="row" |''Bazaar de Gosāru no Game de Gosāru''
|[[NEC|NEC Home Electronics]]||[[PC Engine|PC Engine CD-ROM²]]
|-
| scope="row" |''[[Pokémon Blue]]''
|Nintendo||Game Boy
|-
|1997
| scope="row" |''Bushi Seiryūden: Futari no Yūsha''
|[[T&E Soft]]||Super Famicom
|-
|1998
| scope="row" |''[[Pokémon Yellow]]''
| Nintendo|| Game Boy
|-
|-
| rowspan="2" |1999
| scope="row" |''Click Medic''
|[[Sony Music Entertainment Japan]]||[[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]
|-
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Gold and Silver|''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'']]
| rowspan="2" |Nintendo|| rowspan="2" |[[Game Boy Color]]
|-
|2000
| scope="row" |''[[Pokémon Crystal]]''
|-
|2002
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire|''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'']]
| rowspan="4" |Nintendo [[The Pokémon Company]]
|[[Game Boy Advance]]
|-
|2003
| scope="row" |''[[Pokémon Box: Ruby and Sapphire]]''
|[[GameCube]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2004
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen|''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen '']]
| rowspan="3" |[[Game Boy Advance]]
|-
| scope="row" |''[[Pokémon Emerald]]''
|-
|2005
| scope="row" |''[[Drill Dozer]]''
|Nintendo
|-
|2006
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl|''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'']]
| rowspan="5" |Nintendo The Pokémon Company
| rowspan="5" |[[Nintendo DS]]
|-
|2008
| scope="row" |''[[Pokémon Platinum]]''
|-
|2009
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver|''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'']]
|-
|2010
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Black and White|''Pokémon Black'' and ''White'']]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2012
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Black 2 and White 2|''Pokémon Black 2'' and ''White 2'']]
|-
| scope="row" |''[[HarmoKnight]]''
|Nintendo
| rowspan="1" |[[Nintendo 3DS]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2013
| scope="row" |''[[Pocket Card Jockey]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=Pocket Card Jockey for Nintendo 3DS|url=https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/pocket-card-jockey-3ds|publisher=Nintendo of America, Inc.|access-date=May 7, 2016}}</ref>
|Game FreakJP, NintendoWW||Nintendo 3DS, [[iOS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]]
|-
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon X and Y|''Pokémon X'' and ''Y'']]
| rowspan="2" |Nintendo The Pokémon Company
| rowspan="2" |Nintendo 3DS
|-
| rowspan="1" |2014
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire|''Pokémon Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire'']]
|-
| rowspan="1" |2015
| scope="row" |''[[Tembo the Badass Elephant]]''
|Sega||[[Xbox One]], [[PlayStation 4]], [[Windows]]
|-
| rowspan="1" |2016
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Sun and Moon|''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'']]
|Nintendo The Pokémon Company
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
| rowspan="2" |2017
| scope="row" |''[[Giga Wrecker]]''
|[[Rising Star Games]]||Windows
|-
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon|''Pokémon Ultra Sun'' and ''Ultra Moon'']]
| rowspan="3" |Nintendo The Pokémon Company
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
| rowspan="2" |2018
| scope="row" |''[[Pokémon Quest]]''
|Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
|-
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!|''Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu!'' and ''Let's Go, Eevee!'']]
|Nintendo Switch
|-
| rowspan="3" |2019
| scope="row" |''[[Giga Wrecker|Giga Wrecker Alt.]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/1/18/18188832/giga-wrecker-nintendo-switch-ps4-xbox-one-release-date|title=Game Freak's Giga Wrecker is coming to consoles in 2019|last=Good|first=Owen|date=January 18, 2019|website=Polygon|access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref>
|Rising Star Games
|PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
|-
| scope="row" |''[[Little Town Hero]]''<ref name="announcement">{{Cite web |last1=Marks |first1=Tom |title=Game Freak's Little Town Hero Releases Next Month |work=[[IGN]] |date=September 4, 2019 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/09/04/game-freaks-little-town-hero-releases-next-month |access-date=September 5, 2019}}</ref>
|Game Freak
|Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
|-
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Sword and Shield|''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield'']]
| rowspan="4" |Nintendo The Pokémon Company
| rowspan="4" |Nintendo Switch
|-
|2020
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass|''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield'' ''Expansion Pass'']]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2022
| scope="row" |''[[Pokémon Legends: Arceus]]''
|-
| scope="row" |[[Pokémon Scarlet and Violet|''Pokémon Scarlet'' and ''Violet'']]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2023
| scope="row" |''[[Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!]]''<ref name="PCJRideOn">{{cite web |last1=Romano |first1=Sal |title=Game Freak announces Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! for Apple Arcade |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2023/01/game-freak-announces-pocket-card-jockey-ride-on-for-apple-arcade |website=Gematsu |access-date=3 January 2023 |date=3 January 2023 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103171416/https://www.gematsu.com/2023/01/game-freak-announces-pocket-card-jockey-ride-on-for-apple-arcade |archive-date=3 January 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|Game Freak
|iOS, [[macOS]], Nintendo Switch
|-
| scope="row" |[[The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero|''The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero'']]
|Nintendo The Pokémon Company
|Nintendo Switch
|-
| rowspan="1" |2024
| scope="row" |''Pandoland''<ref name="Pand Land">{{cite web |last1=Romano |first1=Sal |title=Game Freak and WonderPlanet announce free-to-play sailing adventure RPG PAND LAND for iOS, Android |website=Gematsu |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2024/06/game-freak-and-wonderplanet-announce-free-to-play-sailing-adventure-rpg-pand-land-for-ios-android |access-date=2024-06-20 |date=2024-06-20 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620051239/https://www.gematsu.com/2024/06/game-freak-and-wonderplanet-announce-free-to-play-sailing-adventure-rpg-pand-land-for-ios-android |archive-date=2024-06-20 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|WonderPlanet
|iOS, Android
|-
|2025
| scope="row" |''[[Pokémon Legends: Z-A]]''
|Nintendo The Pokémon Company
|Nintendo Switch, [[Nintendo Switch 2]]
|-
|2026
| scope="row" |''[[Beast of Reincarnation]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rousseau |first=Jeffrey |date=2023-05-09 |title=Private Division and Game Freak team up for new IP Project Bloom |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/private-division-and-game-freak-team-up-for-new-ip-project-bloom |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230509203118/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/private-division-and-game-freak-team-up-for-new-ip-project-bloom |archive-date=2023-05-09 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Romano |first1=Sal |title=Fictions and Game Freak announce Beast of Reincarnation for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2025/06/fictions-and-game-freak-announce-beast-of-reincarnation-for-ps5-xbox-series-and-pc |website=Gematsu |date=8 June 2025}}</ref>''
|[[Fictions (company)|Fictions]]
|[[PlayStation 5]], [[Windows]], [[Xbox Series X/S]]
|}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}} {{in lang|ja}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121015000757/http://www.ign.com/companies/game-freak Game Freak at IGN]

{{Pokémon}}
{{Nintendo developers}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Japanese companies established in 1989]]
[[Category:Software companies based in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1989]]
[[Category:Video game companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Pokémon-related companies]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]

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