Asus waited until July 2022 to launch its latest ROG Phones, so that it could present the 6 series with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor with no need for a refresh. Now, however, it seems there is a forthcoming variant with a different SoC after all.
According to the leaker Digital Chat Station, this "ROG Phone 6D" will launch with all the advantages of the original 6 or 6 Pro, their 165Hz Samsung-derived displays, 6,000mAh batteries and 65W charging speed included - however, it will drop the original Qualcomm platform in favor of the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+.
The new tip comes in concert with the registration of 2 new 5G mobile devices called the ASUS_AI2203_A and ASUS_AI2203_B with the Chinese regulator 3C, both of which do indeed seem to have been certified for 65W charging and have been issued with a power brick apiece for the same rate.
Therefore, these mysterious new smartphones could indeed be 2 RAM/storage SKUs of the ROG Phone 6D. Digital Chat Station already touts it as "a real Dimensity game phone", and even seems to refer to it as an "8+ Gen 1 version killer" (according to a Google translation of comments on the subject).
Therefore, the 6D might be the ROG Phone some Android gaming enthusiasts may find as worth holding out for in 2022. Then again, should the flagship variant actually launch, it has little chance of doing so outside of China, however unfortunately.