It was previously rumored that "Pokemon Z" would be announced and released this year, particularly after CoroCoro Magazine revealed images of Zygarde's multiple forms. However, according to a report from The Bit Bag, this is no longer the case and that "Pokemon Z" is now likely to be released by 2017.
According to the report, Nintendo's recent financial statement, which was released to the public, does not give any information regarding "Pokemon Z." There are no mentions of the game in the report and there are no scheduled events to showcase the game such as the upcoming Game Developers Conference in March or E3 in summer.
The only mention of anything "Pokemon" was in relation to the upcoming New Nintendo 3DS package that will come with the original "Pokemon Red and Blue" games bundled with them. "Pokemon Go," on the other hand, is set to be presented during this year's GDC, as previously reported.
Instead, Nintendo seems intent on focusing this year's efforts and finances on their first mobile games such as the upcoming "Miitomo" and the aforementioned "Pokemon Go," which is being co-developed by Niantic Inc. There is also emphsis on the new reward system, "My Nintendo," which effectively replaces the old Club Nintendo rewards.
With that said, the report now points that "Pokemon Z" may be released in 2017 instead.
However, this could indicate a major shift for the franchise as "Pokemon Z" may no longer be released for the Nintendo 3DS but instead be included in the lineup of games for the Nintendo NX, given that the NX is speculated to be a hybrid of both a home console and a portable gaming device.
A report from Neurogadget explains that The Pokemon Company, composed of Nintendo and developer team Game Freak, has been silent regarding "Pokemon Z." It may indicate that the game is not yet ready for announcement or because Nintendo wants to put the public's attention towards "Pokemon Go" and other projects.
