Pokémon Sleep Nearing Completion, Pokémon Works Assuming Development

The development team behind Pokémon Sleep, Select Button, is handing over management responsibilities to the recently founded Pokémon Works. Read on for more details about the change.

Pokemon Sleep Development Shifts to New Pokemon SubsidiaryFrom SELECT BUTTON to Pokemon Works

In March of this year, The Pokemon Company established a new subsidiary, Pokemon Works, which sparked speculations about its future projects. Eight months later, it appears that Pokemon Works will take over the development and future updates of Pokemon Sleep from mobile game developer SELECT BUTTON.

"Until now, the development and operation of Pokemon Sleep has been handled by two companies, SELECT BUTTON Co. Ltd. and The Pokemon Company, Ltd.," the developers announced through the game app, translated via machine translation. "However, the development and operation of Pokemon Sleep will gradually transition from SELECT BUTTON to Pokemon Works."

This news was announced in a general notice on the Japanese Pokemon Sleep app. It remains unclear how this change will impact the global version of the game, as the news is not currently visible within the app’s News section.

Additionally, Pokémon Works reportedly shares a locale in Shinjuku, Tokyo with ILCA, the game development atelier behind the 2021 Pokémon remakes, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and a co-developer of the Pokémon HOME service. Iwasaki mentioned in his salutation that Pokémon Works also contributed to the development of Pokémon HOME.

While their past involvement with Pokémon is confined to these endeavors, the establishment pledges to "forge an experience that renders Pokémon more tangible... so that everyone can savor encountering and adventuring with Pokémon." How they intend to implement this vision in Pokémon Sleep remains to be witnessed.