Beast of Reincarnation tells the story of Emma & Koo in Summer 2026

More details about the former Project Bloom emerged during Thursday's Xbox Developer Direct.

Back at Summer Game Fest, Game Freak rebranded its Project Bloom as an adventure called Beast of Reincarnation. On Thursday, Xbox's Developer Direct showcase offered a greater look at what's coming with an intimate tour through Game Freak's studio facilities.

Beast of Reincarnation's story takes place 2,000 years in the future. Humanity's numbers have dwindled in the time between now and 4026 AD. Players take on the role of Emma, an isolated human wandering future Japan, as she encounters an abandoned dog named Koo. As noted by Xbox Wire, their paths seem destined to cross, but also shouldn't be possible.

"Emma was born afflicted by 'blight,' which has granted her the power to manipulate plants," reads the Xbox Wire post. "Void of both memory and emotion, Emma is shunned and feared by those around her, living a life of total isolation. Koo, on the other hand, is what's known as a 'malefact': a creature that poses a dire threat to this world. Emma bears the burden of a 'sealer,' a role that requires her to hunt these malefacts and absorb their blight into her own body."

Players will have to master Emma's katana skills, as well as a parry that can queue up attacks from Koo. Over the course of the game, players can find Spirit Stones, which can add further effects to Emma and Koo's abilities.

Beast of Reincarnation has been in development for quite some time, starting off life as Project Bloom, which was billed as a partnership between Game Freak and Fictions (formerly Private Division). The game appears to be in its final months of development. Look for Beast of Reincarnation to come to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 sometime this summer. The game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass upon release.