Pokémon Sleep’s development is shifting gears! Select Button, the team behind the popular sleep-tracking app, is handing over the reins to Pokémon Works, a newly established Pokémon subsidiary. Here’s what we know.
Pokémon Sleep Development Transition to Pokémon Works
From Select Button to Pokémon Works
Launched in March 2023, Pokémon Works has been shrouded in mystery. Now, eight months later, its role in the Pokémon Sleep ecosystem becomes clear: taking over development and future updates from Select Button.
An in-app announcement (currently only visible in the Japanese version) reveals the transition. The statement explains that development and operation of Pokémon Sleep will gradually shift from Select Button to Pokémon Works. The impact on the global version of the game remains to be seen, as the news isn't yet reflected in the global app's news section.
Details on Pokémon Works remain scarce. However, according to Representative Director Takuya Iwasaki’s website greeting, the company is a collaborative venture between The Pokémon Company and Iruka Co., Ltd.
Intriguingly, Pokémon Works shares a Tokyo address with ILCA, the studio behind the 2021 Pokémon remakes, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and a co-developer of Pokémon HOME. Iwasaki also notes Pokémon Works' contribution to Pokémon HOME development.
While their direct Pokémon involvement has been limited, Pokémon Works aims to "create an experience that makes Pokémon more real… so that everyone can enjoy meeting and adventuring with Pokémon." How this vision will shape the future of Pokémon Sleep is eagerly anticipated.