I struggle to keep up with all of the new Pokémon ROM hacks and fan games being released this year, obviously because the rise of AI is certainly helping speed up the development, and somewhat making it more accessible for tinkerers to develop something, which admittedly comes with pros and cons, so I only try and cover the ones that are genuinly interesting.
One today that I wanted to share with you is one called Pokémon Hogwarts, a new fan-game in development that mixes the world of Pokémon with the Harry Potter franchise using RPG Maker XP, available for PC gamers who want to experience new Pokémon games outside of the ROM hacking scene.
This game was revealed on X and shows a small teaser trailer that reveals how the game will look and how it mixes the two franchises together in a way that feels like a Nintendo DS Pokémon game but with the magic of Harry Potter, based in the magical world of Galar in the year 1944. It shows the map around Hogwarts with many points of interest from the movies; it includes the infamous houses that no doubt alter the storyline deeply, and you can even experience Quidditch too.
Pokémon are both hidden in the grass and wander in the real world too, allowing you to somewhat control what you catch, alongside the ability to fight gym leaders and battle friends and foes from the movies too. It's a unique mix of franchises, and because it's developed for PC, you can experience it in a fullscreen 16:9 aspect ratio.
As of now, this is the only bit of information shared about this fan-game; it is unclear how deeply AI has been used, and who the lead developer is. There's also no information about its release date, so we only have this 50-second trailer to go by for now, but we'll keep you updated with more information via our free weekly newsletter!
