Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves: Everything Revealed About Gen 10's Open-World Adventure

The Gen 10 Reveal: A New Era Begins

The cornerstone of the 30th-anniversary celebrations was laid on February 27, 2026. During the packed Pokémon Presents broadcast, the final segment was dedicated to the future of the core RPG series. In a move that formalized years of speculation, the presentation confirmed that Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves are indeed Generation 10, developed as always by GAME FREAK Inc.

The platform shift is arguably as significant as the new Pokémon themselves. The games are scheduled for a global simultaneous release in 2027, and they will be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2. This marks a definitive transition to the next hardware generation, leaving the original Nintendo Switch behind and promising to leverage new technological capabilities. In a welcome move for a massive fanbase, the games will also introduce Brazilian Portuguese as a new selectable language option, further expanding the series’ global reach.

Setting Sail: The Open World of Winds and Waves

Gone are the defined routes and corridors of old. Gen 10 is embracing a vast, seamless open world described as “windswept islands and a vast ocean” with a tropical climate. The trailer painted a picture of incredible diversity, showcasing biomes including rolling hills, dense jungles, murky swamps, arid fields, and even the fiery interior of a volcano. The crown jewel of the setting appears to be a sprawling city built directly in the middle of the ocean, suggesting a civilization deeply intertwined with the sea.

The most tantalizing hint for a potential new gameplay mechanic came in a brief but detailed scene: a serene seabed, sunbeams cutting through the water, teeming with Pokémon like Corsola, Lumineon, and Frillish. This sequence has ignited fervent speculation about the long-requested debut of underwater exploration in a mainline game, a feature previously seen only in spin-offs like Pokémon Ranger and Explorers of Sky. Graphically, the trailer highlighted clear improvements, with particular attention paid to realistic water reflections, dynamic lighting, and atmospheric effects that bring this tropical archipelago to life.

Meet Your New Partners: Starters, Pikachu, and Returning Friends

Every journey begins with a choice, and Gen 10 offers three compelling new starters. Trainers will pick between Browt, a Grass-type “Bean Chick” Pokémon; Pombon, a Fire-type “Puppy” Pokémon; and Gecqua, a Water-type “Water Gecko” Pokémon. Their simple, appealing designs have already sparked intense debate and speculation about their final evolved forms.

In a charming and mysterious twist, the trailer also revealed two new Pikachu forms: Mr. Windychu and Ms. Wavychu. Their specific role is unknown and widely speculated—they could be regional variants, special cosmetic forms, or key to a new gameplay mechanic—but their immediate popularity is guaranteed.

They won’t be alone in this new region. The trailer confirmed a robust ecosystem of returning Pokémon, creating a sense of a living world. Spotted inhabitants included familiar faces from Gloom and Tropius in the jungles to Wailord in the open seas and Toxapex lurking in the shallows. Other sightings included Tangela, Sizzlipede, Duskull, and Sandygast, indicating a wide spread of generations will call this archipelago home. A clear version difference was also shown: the player character in Pokémon Winds sports a default cowboy-style outfit, while the Waves avatar wears a traditional baseball cap.

The Bigger Pokémon Picture: Other Announcements from the Showcase

The Gen 10 reveal was the headline, but the 2026 Pokémon Presents was a packed show outlining a full pipeline of content leading into the anniversary year.

Other major game announcements included Pokémon Champions, a dedicated battling game launching in April 2026 for Nintendo Switch (with a mobile version to follow) that will connect to Pokémon HOME. For fans of life-sims, Pokémon Pokopia was revealed as a cozy, town-building game supporting 4-player multiplayer, launching on March 5, 2026, for the Nintendo Switch 2. In a nostalgic nod, digital re-releases of the Game Boy Advance classics Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen hit the Nintendo eShop that same day.

The presentation also provided a substantial update on Pokémon Legends: Z-A, revealing the powerful new Mega Garchomp Z form. A Mystery Gift was announced to distribute the Garchompite Z stone, allowing players to experience this new transformation. Finally, the company highlighted two major 2026 events: the Pokémon World Championships and the debut of a new fan convention, PokémonXP, both set to take place in San Francisco.

Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves represent a conscious and ambitious pivot for the world’s biggest media franchise. By marrying the debut of Generation 10 with the power of the Nintendo Switch 2 and a truly oceanic open world, Game Freak is signaling a new depth of adventure. The 2027 release window gives the community a year to dissect every frame of the trailer, speculate on the starters’ evolutions, and dream of diving into those deep, Pokémon-filled seas. By setting its sights on the horizon and the depths below, Pokémon isn't just introducing a new region—it's charting a course for its next era.