Leaked Pokémon Budgets Reveal Nintendo’s Money Machine Is Still in Overdrive

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is on the way, and surprise: the money talk has already started. New leaks say Nintendo and friends are spending less to make this one than the last big Pokemon release, while likely charging more. If you feel your eyebrow rising, you are not alone.

The leak, the math, and why fans are side-eyeing this

A new post making the rounds (via Stealth40k on Bluesky, Oct 13, 2025) claims Pokemon Legends: Z-A cost about 2 billion yen to make. That shakes out to roughly $13 million. For a franchise that basically prints money, that is a very lean budget.

For context: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet reportedly ran about $20 million to produce. They launched at $60 and, by March 2025, had sold 26.79 million copies. Back-of-the-napkin math says that is over $1.6 billion in revenue from copies sold alone. Not profit — revenue — before marketing, ongoing support, and the usual business carve-outs. Still, the margins here are not subtle.

Pricing vs spending, or: that 'value of the experience' line

Nintendo has been open about flexible pricing on first-party titles lately. The short version is: some games cost more because Nintendo thinks they deliver more.

We price based on the value of the experience.

Here is where this gets messy. The leak says Legends: Z-A comes in around $13 million to make and is priced at $70. Meanwhile, Scarlet and Violet reportedly cost about $20 million and launched at $60. So: lower budget, higher price. That is... a choice.

What the leak actually says

• Pokemon Legends: Z-A budget: ~2 billion yen (about $13 million), reportedly priced at $70
• Pokemon Scarlet and Violet budget: ~3 billion yen (about $20 million), launched at $60, 26.79 million sold by March 2025
• Next mainline 'Gen 10' Pokemon: ~3 billion yen (about $20 million) budget, and rumored to be priced at $80

So, is this greed or just business?

These are leaks, not official line items, but the pattern tracks: keep development budgets tight, lean on the brand’s massive baseline audience, and price aggressively. It is a near risk-free model when your worst-case scenario is still millions of units.

One note for the accounting nerds: Pokemon money flows through more than one pocket. The Pokemon Company, Game Freak, and Nintendo all have skin in this game. But if you buy it on Switch, Nintendo still wins either way.

Do I think this is unusually greedy? Let’s call it efficient to the point of raising questions. If the numbers are accurate, Legends: Z-A is cheaper to make than Scarlet/Violet and will cost more at checkout, while the next mainline entry may push to $80. If that rubs you the wrong way, you are not imagining things.

The bottom line

Whether you see this as smart business or a cash grab, the economic design is obvious: modest budgets, giant sales, premium pricing. And Pokemon, historically, sells. A lot. Which makes the frugal spending and higher prices feel less like necessity and more like strategy.

Greedy or just Tuesday? Tell me where you land.