The New York Videogame Critics Circle has unveiled the winner of its annual Andrew Yoon Legend Award ahead of the New York Game Awards in January. And unlike past years, it's not going to an individual luminary from the video game industry. It's going to...the Pokémon franchise.
This is a first in the award's ten-year history, with past winners including Sam Lake, Neil Druckmann, Phil Spencer, Tim Schafer, and Reggie Fils-Aimé. That's not to say the award hasn't been flexible in its definition before, though. In its first year, 2016, the award was given to a studio: Rockstar Games. And in 2021, the award was given to four people: Jerry Lawson, Hideo Kojima, Brenda Romero, and John Romeo.
But it's still unusual to see the Legend award go to a franchise. On its website and in past years, the NYVGCC has described the award as going to "a game changer in the video games industry" and "those who have propelled the gaming world forward, celebrating their profound impact on an industry that continues to captivate and connect people worldwide." This year, the press release describes the award's purpose as to "recognize industry icons and organizations that exhibited a significant, sustained body of work demonstrating exceptional artistic achievement and innovation."
Per the NYVGCC, Pokémon was chosen as "an iconic staple of global popular culture, breaking through to video game and mainstream audiences in the mid-to-late 90s with a unique combination of collectibility, strong and approachable RPG gameplay and unparalleled character design." The release cites its $12 billion in global retail sales in 2024, over 489 million game copies sold since 1996, and the fact that it's one of the highest-grossing media franchises. We gave the most recent Pokemon game, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, an 8/10, saying it "finally feels like Game Freak hitting its stride in Pokémon's 3D era, with a fun setting to explore, a well-written story, and a total battle system overhaul that works surprisingly well."
“How do you articulate the impact of a cultural phenomenon like Pokémon? ‘Legend’ is the only word that comes to mind,” said Harold Goldberg, the president and founder of NYVGCC. “For 30 years, the franchise has grown to become the most recognizable game series in the world and is beloved for its unique monster designs that have compelled players young and old to catch ‘em all. It is a tremendous honor to present the company with the Andrew Yoon Legend Award at our 15th celebration of the New York Game Awards.”
The award will be accepted by The Pokémon Company at the awards ceremony on January 18, and The Pokémon Company will be in attendance with "two fan-favorite Pokémon" characters available for fan photo opportunities.
IGN reached out to NYVGCC for comment on the decision to honor a franchise this year and received the following official statement:
"The Pokémon Company’s Legend Award heralds the second time the New York Game Awards has decided to honor an overall team over a single individual creator. The first was Rockstar Games in 2016. With their influence across entertainment, console and tabletop gaming for 30 years, we felt that the many people who work with The Pokémon Company deserve to share the prestigious Andrew Yoon Legend Award for our 15th anniversary."
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
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