/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21564217/vpavic_200728_4113_0124.jpg "Google’s new Pixel 4A update is going to lower battery life for some owners")
Forget Year of Luigi. 2025 is the Year of Eevee. At least, according to The Pokémon Center, the official merch arm of The Pokémon Company.
This was announced today via the official Pokémon website, which christened the year by announcing an array of Eevee-themed merchandise such as plush toys and Eeveelution statuettes.
Notably, the “Year of Eevee” thus far appears only to impact The Pokémon Center, the official merchandise store for Pokémon. So it’s entirely possible this is purely a marketing thing to sell more Eevee plush, and won’t impact anything else.
But it’s also possible this celebration ends up extending to other parts of Pokémon. For instance, we know for a fact that a new Pokémon game is planned for later this year: Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We don’t have a ton of information about the game so far, apart from its setting (Lumiose City) and its placement in the “Pokémon Legends” series alongside Pokémon Legends: Arceus. A Year of Eevee could portend exciting things for Z-A… dare I predict, a new Eeveelution? There hasn’t been one of those since Sylveon was added in Pokémon X and Y (where Lumiose City was introduced) over a decade ago. We’re long overdue for a new variation. Unfortunately, we probably can’t expect an entirely Eevee-focused game. We’ve already basically had one of those in Pokémon Let’s Go! Pikachu and Eevee.
And it’s worth noting that the Eevee theming has already invaded the Pokémon TCG via the recent Prismatic Evolution expansion. The new expansion, which releases next week, centers around Terastal Pokémon like in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but notably includes some absolutely gorgeous Eeveelution cards and even features a Terastal on the cover. Every Eeveelution is included in the set in multiple forms, including an Umbreon that some are predicting will be very, very coveted by collectors.
Beyond that, I’m really hoping this means we’ll see some exciting Eevee-themed updates to other games. Pokémon’s been juggling quite a few ongoing games lately, including Pokémon Sleep, Pokémon Unite, Pokémon Masters EX, and of course Pokémon Go. Between all of those, surely there will be room for some interesting Eevee-themed updates over the next year to tie into the merch plays. We’ll have to see how far The Pokémon Company chooses to take things while we eagerly away for more news about Pokémon Legends Z-A. Don’t forget, Pokémon Day is on February 27!
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
