Pokémon’s tenth generation has been officially announced! As always, the next mainline entry will be split into two games: Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves. The announcement trailer, which closed out the latest Pokémon Presents showcase, was short but certainly not light on details.
From world design and visual improvements to starter introductions and Switch 2 exclusivity, there was a ton packed into this bite-sized trailer. The games aren’t going to launch until sometime in 2027, so there’s plenty of time to speculate now.
Release date and Switch 2 exclusivity?
Pokémon Winds and Waves will have a “global simultaneous release” in 2027. There’s no firm date attached just yet, but we at least know that both games will be available worldwide at the same time.
What I found most curious about the trailer is the lack of the original Nintendo Switch logo. Just the Switch 2 logo was visible here, right at the end of the video.
The Pokémon Company has confirmed that Pokémon Winds and Waves will be heading to Switch 2 exclusively, which, I must admit, is a bit of a relief. Especially after witnessing the state Pokémon Scarlet and Violet launched back in 2022.
Your new starters
As ever, it looks like our three starter Pokémon will follow the traditional Fire, Grass, and Water playbook. No real surprises here. But when you get your hands on the game next year, you will have to pick a favorite, so it’s best to familiarize yourself with them now.
First up is Browt, an utterly adorable Grass-type starter Pokémon that looks like it’ll get Flying as a secondary type upon evolution. The other two are a bit up in the air in that regard. Pombon is the Fire type, and appears to be a pomeranian. Then there’s Gecqua, the ‘Water Gecko’ Pokémon.
These are pretty safe choices in terms of design. We’ve had a Water-type amphibious starter before in Froakie, and Browt isn’t dissimilar to Gen 7’s Rowlet. However, Browt differentiates in that it’s referred to as a ‘Bean Chick’ Pokémon, so certainly not an owl. Browt is my favorite, too, and I won’t hear any slander against them.
Returning Pokémon
We don’t yet know the total number of new Pokémon that’ll feature in Winds and Waves just yet, but as you’d probably expect, a ton of old favorites will be showing up in these new releases.
Below is a list of all the returning Pokémon I spotted in the trailer, specifically from the gameplay sequences.
You can probably also assume that any evolved or pre-evolved versions of these Pokémon (that weren’t shown in the trailer) will make it into the game, too. If I missed any, be sure to let me know in the comments below!
- Pikachu
- Gloom
- Tropius
- Wailord
- Wailmer
- Nymble
- Taillow
- Oddish
- Tangela
- Ledyba
- Ledian
- Slugma
- Sizzlipede
- Wingull
- Krabby
- Sandygast
- Corsola
- Mareanie
- Carnivine
- Tympole
- Duskull
- Lumineon
- Toxapex
- Tynamo
- Frillish
Improved lighting?
I’m in two minds about Winds and Waves’ visuals. The games don’t look all that different from Scarlet and Violet or Legends Z-A, at least in terms of overall fidelity, and certainly very familiar in artistic direction.
It also looks like Game Freak is still using some older models for the returning Pokémon. Not a dealbreaker for me, personally, but I know many Pokémon fans get bent out of shape over this.
However, I’m really liking the apparent updates to lighting. The trailer shows off some incredible water reflections, and a part where the setting sun shines through a tree canopy is just sublime. It’s things like this that probably aren’t as feasible on original Switch hardware, too.
A massive open-world with tons of biome variety
The official Pokémon Winds and Waves press release states that the games will “feature an open world to explore, with beautiful windswept islands and a vast ocean with glittering waves.”
You probably could’ve gleaned as much by watching the trailer, but we’re already seeing a really impressive and diverse variety of biomes. From rolling hills and open seas to muggy swamps and what appears to be the interior of a volcano, these new games appear to have much greater environmental variety than prior entries. Especially recent ones like Pokémon Legends Z-A.
Underwater exploration?
This one isn’t a given, but it sure does seem likely and would fit with the title of one of these new Pokémon games. The end of the trailer takes us across a seabed, where we find a litany of Water-type Pokémon, but it does also appear to be a fully-modeled environment.
Underwater exploration would be a new frontier for the series. We’ve, of course, been able to sail on the surface with our Pokémon via the HM (that’s Hidden Machine) Surf in prior games. But going beneath the waves is something that we haven’t yet seen in the mainline games.
I do wonder how battling and capturing Pokémon could work underwater, and whether there would be particularly strict penalties for Pokémon weak to Water, like Fire types? Conversely, would types that are strong against Water get a considerable buff whilst under the sea?
Given the biome variety we’ve seen so far, I would hope environmental advantages (and disadvantages) have a say in Pokémon battles and/or exploration in general. Having to think about which Pokémon to take into any given area could encourage even casual players to consider working on multiple teams.
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