Pokémon Company CEO Believes Franchise Will Celebrate 100th Anniversary

The CEO of The Pokemon Company recently shared his belief that the franchise might one day celebrate its 100th anniversary. These confident remarks were made during the celebration of Pokemon Day 2025, where a slew of exciting announcements for the upcoming year was revealed.

Over the last few decades, Pokemon has become one of the hottest media properties in the world. What began as a set of Game Boy games in Japan back in 1996, with the launch of Pokemon Red and Green, swiftly expanded across the globe. Beyond just its core games, the franchise has exploded into spin-offs, an anime series, merchandising, and more. Even those who don’t play games are likely familiar with the iconic Pikachu. With the 29th anniversary just passing, The Pokemon Company is looking towards a promising future with optimism.

In a recent chat with the BBC, Tsunekazu Ishihara, the company’s CEO, hinted that Pokemon might keep flourishing for many more years. Ishihara mentioned, “If we stay true to our mission, Pokemon might just make it to its 50th or even 100th anniversary.” Given the franchise’s stellar performance over the years, such predictions seem quite reasonable. The flagship games continue to fly off the shelves, while mobile hits like Pokemon TCG Pocket and Pokemon GO remain immensely popular. However, Ishihara cautioned about resting on their laurels, suggesting the franchise might falter if they don’t keep innovating.

Just recently, The Pokemon Company hosted a Pokemon Presents event, which was packed with major announcements. Attendees got a glimpse of what’s in store for existing games like Pokemon GO, Pokemon TCG Pocket, and Pokemon Unite. New episodes of Pokemon Concierge are set to appear on Netflix, and they gave a sneak peek of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, showcasing gameplay and introducing some starters. On top of that, a brand-new PvP game called Pokemon Champions was unveiled, focusing on Pokemon battling.

As the roadmap for the remainder of 2025 unfolds, it will be fascinating to see how The Pokemon Company navigates the year ahead. While only time will tell if the franchise makes it to its 100th milestone, one thing is for sure—the company isn’t hitting the brakes any time soon. There’s plenty on the horizon for Pokemon fans to get excited about in the coming months.