Pokémon has become an iconic staple of global pop culture, and as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, the New York Videogame Critics Circle has announced the franchise will be the recipient of the Andrew Yoon Legend Award at the New York Game Awards in 2026.

This award recognises industry icons and organisations that have exhibited a “significant, sustained body of work demonstrating exceptional artistic achievement and innovation”. Andrew Yoon was a founding member of NYVGCC. Past recipients of this award include individuals such as Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aimé, Xbox’s Phil Spencer, and industry legend Hideo Kojima.

Reggie has even shared an official comment about Pokémon’s success over the years:

“The Pokémon Company is without peer, responsible for creating a massive juggernaut of a franchise that has become a landmark title in gaming’s storied history. I saw firsthand the love and care that went into each Pokémon game I was part of, and how much each new game resonated deeply with the fans. Now, to be there for Pokémon, when it’s being recognized as this year’s winner of the Andrew Yoon Legend Award, it’s a full circle moment that I am ecstatic to be a part of!”

As mentioned in the same PR, Pokémon originally broke through in the “mid-to-late 90s”, and most recently achieved “$12 billion global retail sales in 2024, including over 489 million game copies sold since 1996”.

“Pokémon is considered one of the world’s highest-grossing media franchises. Its legend only grows stronger as new generations are drawn to new video games, animated series, movies, The Pokémon Trading Card game, mobile apps and more from The Pokémon Company.”

The 2026 New York Game Awards will take place on 18th January 2026 at the SVA Theatre in Manhattan. Tickets for this are now available to purchase online. This award follows the recent release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A on the Switch and Switch 2 in October.