The New York Video Game Critics Association's annual Legend Award isn't going to one person this year; it's going to Pokémon

The New York Video Game Critics Circle announced the winners of its annual Andrew Yoon Legend Award ahead of January's New York Game Awards. Unlike past years, this won't be an individual standout from the video game industry. This would be…the Pokémon series.

For the first time in the award's ten-year history, past winners include Sam Lake, Neil DruckmanPhil Spencer, Tim Schaeffer and Reggie Fiers-Aimee. But that’s not to say the award’s previous definition wasn’t flexible. In 2016, the award's first year, the award was presented to one studio: Rockstar Games. In 2021, the award was presented to four people: Jerry Lawson, Hideo Kojima, Brenda Romero and John Romeo.

But it's still unusual for a Legend Award to go to a franchise. The NYVGCC describes the award on its website and in past years as “a game-changer in the video game industry” and “those who push the gaming world forward, celebrating their profound impact on the industry and continuing to engage and connect people around the world.” This year, a press release describes the purpose of the award as “recognizing industry icons and organizations who have demonstrated significant, sustained work that demonstrates excellence in artistic achievement and innovation.”

According to the NYVGCC, Pokémon has been selected as “an iconic staple of global pop culture, breaking into video games and mainstream audiences in the mid-to-late '90s with a unique mix of collectibles, powerful and approachable RPG gameplay, and an unparalleled mix of character designs.” The release states that the game will have global retail sales of $12 billion by 2024, with more than 4.89 units sold since 1996. billion copies of the game, and it's one of the highest-grossing media franchises. us Given the latest Pokémon game, Pokémon Legends: ZA8/10, calling it “finally feels like Game Freak has taken a big step forward in the 3D era of Pokémon, with a fun environment to explore, a well-written story, and an overhauled battle system that works surprisingly well.”

“How do you articulate the impact of a cultural phenomenon like Pokémon? 'Legendary' is the only word that comes to mind,” said Harold Goldberg, president and founder of NYVGCC. “Over 30 years, the series has grown into one of the most recognized gaming franchises in the world, beloved for its unique monster designs that entice gamers young and old to capture them. We are honored to present the company with the Andrew Yoon Legend Award at the 15th annual New York Game Awards celebration.”

The Pokémon Company will accept the award at a ceremony on January 18, and the Pokémon Company will be in attendance with “two fan-favorite Pokémon” characters to provide fans with photo opportunities.

IGN reached out to the NYVGCC for comment on the decision to award the franchise this year and received the following official statement:

“The Pokémon Company's Legend Award heralds the second time the New York Game Awards have decided to honor an entire team rather than a single creator. The first was in 2016 for Rockstar Games. With their 30 years of influence across entertainment, console and tabletop gaming, we felt that many of the people who work with The Pokémon Company deserve a share of the prestigious Andrew Yoon Legend Award on our 15th anniversary.”

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter at IGN. You can find her posts at BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Have a story tip? Send it to [email protected].