Home Video Games Digimon wins the match against Pokémon after 27 years of rivalry

Digimon wins the match against Pokémon after 27 years of rivalry

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Digimon wins the match against Pokémon after 27 years of rivalry


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The digital rival from the 1990s reemerges with force as Pokémon faces its greatest identity crisis

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For nearly three decades, Pokemon he was the absolute king of interactive entertainment. With more than $113 billion in revenuehe surpassed himself Star Wars ea MCU. But numbers aren’t everything. In 2025, public perception has changed a lot fans begin to look with nostalgia and respect towards Digimonthe saga that seemed condemned to live in his shadow.

Victim of his own success

The digital phenomenon born in Bandai’s tamagotchi has achieved its goals the unthinkable: surpassing Pokémon in image, narrative and audience loyalty. While the games The Pokémon Company they chain disappointments and controversies, Digimon He was able to mature together with his followers, adapting without losing his essence.

Pokémon Scarlet and Purple They were the turning point. What was supposed to be a celebration of the open world has become one a technical disaster: Graphical errors, performance drops, and the feeling that Nintendo had lost its way. Patches have not improved player confidence and new announcements, as Pokémon Legends: ZAthey no longer arouse the same enthusiasm.

Added to this is The GCC market (card game) completely overwhelmed by speculation, scandals scalping and absurd prices. The Pokémon brand, once synonymous with magic and fantasy, is now perceived as a brand exhausted marketing machine.

And if that wasn’t enough, his legal battle against Palworld —that “armed Pokémon” that swept 2024— has left the company in an awkward position. Instead of inspiring respect, Nintendo’s lawsuits against the independent studio caused the rejectiondisplaying a corporate attitude that many players describe as arrogant.

Digimon grows where Pokémon stagnate

In the meantime, Digimon He did the opposite: he listened to his fans. Your new game, Digimon Story: The Stranger in Timeavailable in PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PCreached peaks above 84,000 players on Steamaccording to SteamDB. A figure which, although modest compared to the millions of Pokémon, makes us think an active, involved and satisfied user base.

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The formula works because Digimon does not try to imitate his rival, but deepen your identity. The title combines classic exploration with close strategic mechanics Shin Megami Tenseiand a more adult tone that connects with those who grew up watching Digimon Adventure or Tamers.

Stories that mature with their audience

One of the franchise’s greatest accomplishments is getting it right His players have grown too. Far from maintaining a childish tone like Pokémon, Digimon he opted for more complex plots, with reflections on identity, loss or the relationship between man and technology.

The best example is yet Digimon Tamerswritten by C. Kakkacreator of Lain serial experiments. That series mixed existentialism, trauma and a dark vision of the bond between creator and creation. A jewel that Pokémon have never been on television.

And now Toei Animation is preparing to repeat the move Digimon Beatbreaka new anime that promises to bring back that mature, storytelling spirit. Everything indicates that its premiere will be in 2025. it could disappear Pokémon Horizonswhich passed without pain or glory among veteran fans.

A silent triumph

Perhaps Digimon it never matched the sales of its eternal rival, but it won in something more important: credibility. Without legal wars, without inflating expectations or betraying its audience, the saga has found your balance.

Recent successes are not limited to anime or video games: merchandising, events and digital card games are experiencing a new boom. In the words of the fans themselves, Digimon “It’s not about trying to be bigger, just trying to be better.”

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While Nintendo seems focused on defending its hegemony with legal action, Digimon continue to grow with humility, building a loyal community and giving experiences that truly connect with players.

Ultimately, the battle between the two has never been just a question of numbers, but of heart. And this time the heart beats in the digital world.

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