Thirty years on from the release of its original games, the 10th generation of Pokémon has been revealed.
As ever, two titles will launch together, with Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves set to arrive in 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2.
The games will be set across a sprawling open world featuring a string of islands, include underwater gameplay, and of course feature a brand new batch of Pokémon, including three new starter choices: Grass-type bird Browt, Fire-type pooch Pombon, and Water gecko Gecqua.
Our first look at Winds and Waves’ world features dense jungles, a futuristic resort with water flumes, a mangrove swamp, large stretches of open water, submerged coral reefs and lava-filled caves. It is certainly the best any Pokémon game has ever looked, and a notable response to the growing discontent among fans over the visuals in previous titles.
The Pokémon Company made its hugely-anticipated Gen 10 announcement today during the finale of its big Pokémon Presents livestream, held to mark the franchise’s annual birthday but also its 30th anniversary overall.
As ever, the broadcast also contained additional details on the franchise’s many other spin-off games. But it was the 10th generation of the beloved series, featuring a whole new region and set of creatures, that fans tuned in to see. And they were certainly not disappointed.
Today’s Pokémon Winds and Waves trailer opened with a nostalgic look back at earlier locations from the franchise so far via a book of illustrations, before a male and female Pikachu in vacation attire drop by to welcome our first proper look at the franchise’s next generation.
These Pikachu are officially named Mr. Windychu and Ms. Wavychu — yes, really — and will indeed be characters in Winds and Waves. Writing on social media, The Pokémon Company teased: “Just how could these Pikachu be involved in your adventure?”
“Developed by Game Freak exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2, these new titles feature an open world to explore, with beautiful windswept islands and a vast ocean with glittering waves,” reads an official description of Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves. “The Pokémon that live in harmony with this region’s lush environment have developed their own unique ecosystems. During this adventure, you’ll team up with all kinds of Pokémon to overcome both the difficult road ahead and even the forces of nature that block your path at times.”
The trailer concludes on a more ominous note, as the noises of swirling winds and crashing waves sound like they’re being whipped up into a storm. Mysterious!
It’s now been four years since fans got a first look at the series’ ninth generation of creatures, which debuted in 2022’s Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Set in a region inspired by Spain and Portugal, the generation included starters Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly, as well as a swathe of mysterious Paradox species from the distant past and future. The generation also introduced Terastallization, which allows for the changing of a Pokémon’s Type.
Last year, fans got a first sense of what Gen 10 would likely offer, via leaked (though outdated) information taken from developer Game Freak’s servers during an earlier hack. This leak mentioned plans to include procedurally generated areas, as well as an archipelago of islands to explore. Two work-in-progress names for the project were also mentioned — Pokémon Wind and Waves — which we now know were very close to final.
And for more of today’s announcements, be sure to catch up on everything revealed in today’s Pokémon Presents broadcast right here.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
