For years after the release of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in 2014, many long-time fans of the franchise were clamoring to see the monster-catching franchise revisit the first DS titles, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Those fans got their wish earlier this year when Nintendo finally unveiled the long-awaited Gen 4 remakes, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Perhaps most surprising to fans, however, was the announcement that development would not be handled in-house by Nintendo, instead being handed off to ILCA.
ILCA is a third-party "support" developer that has its hands in many of gaming's biggest franchises. The company has assisted with major titles, such as Yakuza 0, Dragon Quest XI, and Nier: Automata. As development of the newest Pokemon titles continue with more classic features announced to return, ILCA was recently announced to be involved with another franchise, one the company is familiar with.
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During yesterday's Ace Combat 25th Anniversary Retrospective broadcast, Ace Combat producer Kazutoki Kono officially announced that a new Ace Combat title is in development. The Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl developer was revealed to be assisting with the creation of the newest entry into the aerial combat franchise. Few details were given about the freshly announced title, but Kono was eager to see ILCA become more involved with the long-running franchise.
The new title is not the first time ILCA has played a role in the Ace Combat franchise. ILCA assisted Bandai-Namco during the development of the franchise's previous title, Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown, released in 2019. The long-running combat flight franchise celebrated its 25th anniversary last year with a slew of classic planes added to Ace Combat 7, and Kono was optimistic about the partnership. During the interview, he made reference to the new title starting "a new era" for Ace Combat marked by the partnership between the two companies.
ILCA has acted as a support studio for larger game developers for over a decade since its formation in 2010. The company has experience across multiple different genres and big-name franchises like Metal Gear Solid and aforementioned franchises like Pokemon and Ace Combat. ILCA also has history with their current partner in Nintendo as well, previously working on development of the cloud-based Pokemon storage title Pokemon Home. With the company's wide range of expertise and history with the Ace Combat franchise, fans of the aerial combat series should look forward to the upcoming title.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are scheduled to release on November 19 for the Nintendo Switch.
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Source: IGN
