There is no entity more apt to compare Nintendo to than Disney, and with major theatrical film releases, countless collaborations, and expansions into theme parks and exhibits, the comparison has never been more obvious. Like the House of Mouse, Nintendo is taking advantage of its various mascots’ iconography in order to create products that appeal to every possible consumer demographic. It’s applying the classic Pokémon slogan to audiences itself: Gotta catch ’em all. This can be seen in the other Poké-products planned for 2026. Among them are apparel collaborations with Uniqlo, Target, and Adidas; Lego Pokémon sets; sneakers and more clothing with Puma; and trading card Happy Meals at McDonald’s. The strategy is obvious: By injecting the adorable critters into other brands with their own fans or consumer bases, both sides stand to profit from the increased attention. The aforementioned malleability becomes integral here. You could be into vocaloid music or the art of Vincent van Gogh, and somehow, there’s a Poké-collab for you.
On the games side, there’s the newly released Pokopia and Pokémon Champions, and the latest mainline entries Pokémon Winds and Waves are coming later this year. Each of these projects appeal to entirely different kinds of fans, and can hit with multiple demographics simultaneously. Pokopia is especially refreshing to those who tend to find the standard games lackluster, while still creating excitement for the lore-crazed superfan through the inclusion of all the Kanto-region easter eggs. With its daily rewards and activities, Pokopia is a microcosm of the Disney-model of brand loyalty. The game incentivizes an obsessive, constant attention to it, building your everyday life around making room for Pokémon. Meanwhile, Champions exists primarily for those who take the strategic battling of the RPGs seriously, a polar opposite in mechanics while still allowing for a similar level of dedication. In this way, traditional games like Winds and Waves become the safe median, with some amount of both combat and collecting mechanics incorporated for a general audience.
The nostalgic Nintendo adult and the wide-eyed, newly indoctrinated child. The competitive minmaxer and the cozy game connoisseur. The gamers, the merch hoarders, and the moviegoers. It has never been easier for Nintendo to capture every possible way a person could be interested in its products, and Pokémon might just be the IP best suited for this goal of cultural dominance. The fantastical creatures align well with the company’s ethos towards making something that engages every member of a family unit, and who doesn’t love a cute animal? The final step towards Disneyfication is to succeed in the world of theme parks and exhibits. The video game company’s major in-person experiences have generally been relegated to Japan, but the opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood and Epic Universe was a major step towards making their intellectual property a lifestyle that’s globally accessible. There are explicit plans to expand the theme parks internationally, and in May of 2026, the Pokémon Fossil Museum will make its first ever appearance outside of Japan. Tyrantum will appear alongside Sue The T. rex in Chicago, combining the first two fandoms children are most likely to join into one exhibit: dinosaurs and Pokémon.
While Pikachu and co. are clearly beloved, this type of boundless corporate maximization is always worrisome. Nobody can endlessly expand product and increase profits without inevitably diving headfirst into slop. Recent history shows us how poorly received Disney’s live-action remakes have been, and the recently released The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was panned for its focus on nostalgia over storytelling and for lacking the charm Nintendo is known for. The Mario movies have made over two billion dollars at this point, though, despite the critical disdain; this could be the future for all popular Nintendo franchises, including Pokémon.
Nintendo has become synonymous with a certain kind of quality, consistently putting out inventive and brilliant games. Standards tend to lose out to money, though. And popularity is always precarious; there’s already a vocal continent of Pokémon “fans” who heavily criticize every new game released in the franchise. Pokémon at 30, then, isn’t resting on its laurels, but is poised to be a test subject: How long can any monoculture survive the attention economy?
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