Legends: Arceus Proves That Pokémon Games Need More Regional Variants

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With Pokémon Legends: Arceus having been out for almost three months now and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet expected sometime in 2022, there has been a lot of talk about what new or different Pokémon fans have seen and expect to see in the future, with regional variants a specific point of discussion. Game Freak has, since Pokémon Red,Blue, andYellow were released, given players over 900 Pokémon to play with. That is over 900 different species across multiple ecosystems and regions.

Pokémon regional variants first came into light in Generation 7 with Pokémon Sun and Moon. Regional variants can impact a Pokémon's appearance, moves, and base stats. The first regional variants were based on the Alolan region, giving 18 Pokémon a more tropical feel. Pokémon Sword and Shield gave players 28 new variants, including six new evolutions. Pokémon Legends: Arceus introduced 18 new variants including two new evolutions and forms specific to the Hisuian region.

Related: Legends: Arceus' Shinies Make Alpha Pokémon Less Interesting

While Pokémon Legends: Arceus did give players a few new regional variants of Pokémon, more should have been added and should be added to future games. Most Pokémon games take place in different specific regions and each of these regions tends to have separate ecosystems from the tundra to the desert. This opens up a world of opportunity to give players new variations of their favorite Pokémon.

In the real world, animals adapt to their environment through evolution. This leads to multiple different types of animals of the same species — for example, the Galapagos Finches. These finches each evolved into multiple different species depending on their environment, the available food, and nearby predators. The