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Published on May 7th, 2014 | by Firestorm

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Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Announced for November 2014 Release

Today, we received some surprising news about new games in the Pokémon franchise for release later this year in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. They are widely believed to be remakes of the third generation games which nobody expected at all. We have no information on the titles outside the release date which is planned for November 2014 as a worldwide release, much like Pokémon X and Y. Also like Pokémon X and Y, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company International seem to have dropped the word “Version” from the titles of the games.

Nintendo says that, “Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire are a fresh take on Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire, which launched in 2003 and were fan-favorite hits on the Game Boy Advance system. The new titles promise to take players through a dramatic story within a spectacular new world.”

With a November 2014 release, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire will not make it in time for the first Regional Championships of the VGC ’15 season in October. Like the VGC ’13 and VGC ’14 seasons, we expect to play using Pokémon X and Y at the fall regionals before switching to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire after mid-December. Keep in mind that the VGC ’15 season will be the first year we will hopefully have events on a regular basis if the current Premier Challenge pilot program pans out. It remains to be seen how long that Play! Pokémon decides is sufficient before sanctioned events switch to the new games.

 




About the Author

is one of the co-founders of Nugget Bridge and the Community Manager for eSports Tournament Platform Battlefy. He has been playing Pokémon since 1999, competitively since 2007, and attending tournaments since 2010. He lives in Vancouver, Canada with a degree in Interactive Art & Technology + Communications. You can follow him on Twitter at @rushanshekar.



378 Responses to Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Announced for November 2014 Release

  1. Carbonific says:

    I seriously thought Serebii was trolling when they posted this on their main page. I had to check twice to make sure it wasn’t April 1st. I thought my logic of: ‘it still technically has upwards compatibility through Pal Park which means we won’t get a new Ruby/Sapphire game’ was impeccable.
     
    I will note though that in the announcement video they said “new adventure” and “dramatic new world”, which means that this isn’t necessarily going to be a ‘remake’ but could be it’s own thing, which I would actually prefer.

  2. youxiu says:

    Id like a remake if I’m honest. I am incredibly excited. So much potential on 3ds with dive. Explains the mega lati@s perhaps?

  3. El Tigre says:

    I’m sooooooo looking forward to the return of secret bases. I can picture the relation of secret bases with friend codes…it’s going to be awesome. Too awesome.

  4. FamousDeaf says:

    I wonder if they are create more mega evolution in Hoenn remake. How about Mega Groudon and Mega Kyogre?

  5. El Tigre says:

    I wonder if they are create more mega evolution in Hoenn remake. How about Mega Groudon and Mega Kyogre?

    That would be unnecessary like the Mega Mewtwo’s…but at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised.
     
    Another thought, what’s VGC 2015 going to be? Hoenn Dex only? Blaziken and Latios are currently not legal. I’ll stop speculating haha

  6. 000aj says:

    I’m throwing my money at the screen but nothing happens…

    I’m pretty excited, Sapphire was my first Pokémon game and it would be awesome to replay it. Or even better, to have it be a sequal.

  7. ScottMtc says:

    inb4 we can use legendaries in the VGC 2015 format.
    Every time you could catch Groudon and Kyogre in the games, VGC rules allowed Ubers.
     
    2006: Pokémon Emerald / JAA has Ubers
    2010: HearGold and SoulSilver were released / VGC 2010 has Ubers.
    2014: Ruby and Sapphire Remakes will be released / 2015: Ubers?

  8. Abaris says:

    inb4 we can use legendaries in the VGC 2015 format.
    Every time you could catch Groudon and Kyogre in the games, VGC rules allowed Ubers.
     
    2006: Pokémon Emerald / JAA has Ubers
    2010: HearGold and SoulSilver were released / VGC 2010 has Ubers.
    2014: Ruby and Sapphire Remakes will be released / 2015: Ubers?

     
    VGC 2010 FORMAT ON 2015?!

    Yes, please.

  9. KillerConall says:
     

    I wonder if they are create more mega evolution in Hoenn remake. How about Mega Groudon and Mega Kyogre?

    Well the Groudon and Kyogre on the box art don’t look the same as the normal ones, could be mega, could be new formes, or could just be them looking awesome.

  10. liz7 says:

    The most we can get from this are just new egg moves right?

  11. TeeJay says:

    Maybe gems.

  12. demonicego says:

    Yaaaaay! Hoenn was beautiful, can’t imagine how it’ll look on 3ds.

  13. FamousDeaf says:

    Well, I would be laugh if Slaking get Mega evolution without truant ability.

  14. I was thinking that but it could be the glowy parts on them being really glowy. I’m hoping for tutors and especially the Hoenn Battle Frontier! The 200 metagame was a very interesting one and I am excited to see what next years dex-restrictive VGC format will be like. I doubt it will be as low as 200 though, but I doubt further now that VGC 15 will be open to just about everything national dex.
     
    Gardevoir and Salamence aren’t going anytime soon for sure at least, but MAYBE no Garchomp, TTar and Kanga allowed…?. Unless they do Nat dex it or make them in the new dex or make it ubery again.

  15. Scott says:

    Not at all — every other release after the first of a generation has added new tutors, there is the option for gameplay changes (please nerf Mega Kanga), and at the very least the Regis will get rereleased, which matters if the pentagon stays a rule (which I’d expect it to).

    It’ll be interesting to see if they add a bunch of legendaries that weren’t there in RS originally like BW2 did for the pentagon thing, since I can’t image we’ll see any other games remade this generation. Which games, if any, re-release the GSC and BW legendary trios, Cresselia, Latios/as, and if we get another Ubers format like 2010, the Gen 4 cover legendaries, potentially has a pretty major impact on VGC. Eager to find out more in the coming months…

    Also I can’t believe they’re rereleasing a game that came out after I was playing competitively online with the IRC bots and NetBattle. I’m getting too old for this…

  16. demonicego says:

    Edit: I anticipate mega lati@s and move tutors…but Hoenn was all about weather. So perhaps some interesting new weather mechanics?

  17. Sprocket says:

    I’m predicting the following for VGC2015 because of this announcement:

    * “Pentagon” rule will continue
    * National Pokedex
    * Gen 6 move tutors
    * Definitely more legendaries being available. Latias twins, the Regis, and I’m hoping the remaining gen 2, 4, and 5 legends being made available.
    * Gems (in their nerfed state)

    Non VGC prediction: Volcanion will be a RS event mon.

  18. demonicego says:

    Yay! I loved Hoenn. It was the most beautiful region imo followed closely by johto and I can’t wait to see how it will look on 3ds.

  19. youxiu says:

    Mega flygon pls

  20. TeeJay says:

    I think you all are forgetting the most important part:
     
    Secret bases.

  21. ALPHA SAPPHIRE BIRCH

    ITS OVER.  NEXT YEAR IS YEAR OF THE BIRCH.

    MY LIFE LONG DREAM HAS COME TRUE. GG GET REKT NERDS.

    THIS IS MY YARD NOW. FILLED WITH TRUMPETS

  22. FamousDeaf says:

    THIS IS MY YARD NOW. FILLED WITH TRUMPETS

    Mega Trumpets please.

  23. Scott says:

    I just hope we get Nationaldex next year instead of Hoenndex. Though they could tactically not include Kangaskhan for us! Actually, I wonder if there’ll be new Megas in general, seems sort of silly not to add Sceptile and Swampert if they’re remaking RS and Blaziken can already mega, don’t you think?

    Also, plz god secret bases with Wi-Fi functionality. I miss those!!

    Also Part 2, I am now referring to Chris as AlphaSapphire and Suleski as OmegaRuby.

  24. Topido says:

    I hope there aren’t too many new legendaries available. I really like all of the creativity in the format right now.

  25. chowjed says:

    Mega Blaziken, Latios/Latias was indeed a clue to the next game.

  26.  AlphaSapphire

    CHRIS AND I FUSED TO CREATE THE STRONGEST BEING IN THE WORLD.

  27. ScottMtc says:

    there is the option for gameplay changes (please nerf Mega Kanga)

    Yes please.
    Nerf confirmed > Hoenn confirmed

  28. Toph says:

    I think VGC 2015 will be the same as this year because these games come out in November… too late to affect the ruleset. :c

  29. Thowra says:

    The trailer had no music ಠ_ಠ
     
    On the other hand I look forward to diving underwater in 3D :D

  30. Scott says:

    I would expect Fall Regionals will use the previous year’s Worlds format and rules will change in Winter, as with the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

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