Famitsu recently issued a list of the most eagerly awaited video games, ranking them by the number of people who read the Japanese website. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which had previously topped the list of readers’ most-wanted games, was dethroned by Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in the most recent poll (which used votes cast between October 27 and November 1) to establish a new leader.

On the one hand, none of this should be shocking. The votes were cast in advance of Scarlet and Violet’s release on November 18th, and interest in Pokémon is normally greater in Japan than anywhere else. Despite this, the games have never come in first place on Famitsu’s list (which is generally a battle between Tears of the Kingdom and Final Fantasy XVI on the PlayStation 5).

Although Scarlet and Violet narrowly defeated Final Fantasy and Zelda (784 to 758 and 747, respectively) in this week’s results, could Pokémon taking first place indicate that the franchise is growing more popular than Zelda? We believe that the impending release of the game is more likely the cause of its recent popularity spike, but you never know.

The top ten most-wanted titles are listed here, but head over to Famitsu to view the complete results.

1. [NSW] Pokemon Scarlet / Violet – 784 votes
2. [PS5] Final Fantasy XVI – 758 votes
3. [NSW] Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – 747 votes
4. [NSW] Dragon Quest Treasures – 572 votes
5. [PS5] Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – 302 votes
6. [NSW] Fire Emblem Engage – 265 votes
7. [PS5] Resident Evil 4 – 254 votes
8. [NSW] Pikmin 4 – 173 votes
9. [PS5] Pragmata – 172 votes
10. [PS4] Witch on the Holy Night – 170 votes

Is this Pokémon victory actually proof that the franchise’s hype has surpassed even that of the Breath of the Wild sequel, or is it just a result of the game’s impending release date? Fill out the poll below to voice your opinion, and then explain why in the comments section.