After a long wait and much speculation, Pokémon Winds and Waves were officially revealed during the 30th anniversary of the franchise in 2026. A lot of the previous rumors we’d heard about the 10th generation mainline game turned out to be true.
As predicted, the game will be a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, and it’ll take players to a series of lush islands. The Winds & Waves starters are still the tried-and-true Grass, Fire, and Water combo. All these elements did make it to the final game, as leaks had been alleging for months prior to the reveal.
That said, there’s still plenty that we don’t know about the upcoming Pokémon Winds and Waves games. Some leaks, predictions, and speculations remain about the coming title—and we really hope that these specific leaks turn out to be true, too. Note that where not otherwise stated, the leaks come from the big TeraLeak2 infodump back in October 2025, which you can find summarized on Reddit by user Key_Football_1841.
The Games Might Release In November 2027
One of the most basic things we still don’t know about Winds and Waves is its release date. The reveal did give us a broad window of “2027,” so at least we know we won’t be waiting long for the title.
If we look back on the history of the franchise, we might be able to narrow down the release window even further. According to several sources and speculations, the updated release window is predicted to be late 2027, specifically. Previous mainline games were mostly released in the fall, so we can expect Winds and Waves to do the same.
Besides this, the original release date was reportedly slated for November 2026. With all that in mind, it would make sense for the new release to be November 2027.
Players Will Have A “Seed” Pokémon That Changes Forms
You may know Pokémon as distinct creatures with distinct features, but the franchise has been playing around with the idea of more customized critters for a while now. The series is no stranger to regional variants, Pokémon that evolved to look or act differently depending on where in the world they come from. This mirrors the real world, where animals adapt to their environments in similarly diverse ways.
The original huge TeraLeak hinted that the Gen-10 title wanted to take this idea even further. Players would allegedly be given a “seed” Pokémon. This little “seed” would travel around the islands with their trainer, adapting and changing both physically and stat/attack-wise, depending on where players went and who they battled.
If Winds and Waves actually adapts this idea, this would be the first time that a Pokémon is entirely unique to every player. Though this would make it difficult from a merchandising standpoint, it would be a wonderfully personalized experience for fans.
At Least Some Of The Islands Will Be Procedurally Generated
Every Pokémon game so far has had meticulously planned out and handcrafted environments and locations. This might change in Winds and Waves. According to the rumors, the Gen-10 game will include at least some form of procedural generation.
This mechanic would theoretically be tied into the also still-unconfirmed “seed” Pokémon. The idea is that the land will evolve and change along with your seed, directly reflecting its stage in development and evolution. This is an interesting potential mechanic that would even further contribute to every player’s experience with the game being unique to their play style and preferences.
Underwater Exploration Will Be A Part Of Both Games
As the name implies, there’s a lot of water in Pokémon Winds and Waves. Even before the trailer revealed the island setting of the upcoming game, fans have been predicting some form of underwater exploration would be present in the title. The trailer seems to confirm that players will at least dip their toes in that water, so to speak.
The trailer dives into the clear blue waters, to reveal a glimpse of the thriving marine ecosystem below. It hasn’t been officially revealed, but it does seem highly likely that the Gen-10 game will have some form of underwater exploration. Considering how long the rumor has been around, and the (literal and metaphorical) depths to which the trailer goes to show off the underwater world, this leak seems highly likely to be true.
You’ll Be Able To Catch Pokémon Without Battling Them
Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Z-A changed one of the most traditionally accepted features of the Pokémon franchise: You need to weaken a Pokémon to capture them. In these two spinoff games, players can simply aim and throw their Poké Balls without ever entering into combat with their target.
On one hand, this departure from the original game mechanic is bittersweet since it’s been such a mainstay of the franchise. On the other hand, it reduces the grind of having to fight every single critter you want to capture. The trailer for Winds and Waves seems to imply that this throwing mechanic from Legends will still be in place for the coming games.
This was further reinforced by reputable leaker The_BallGuy on X, who confirms that the “catching system remains.” They also mention that they “heard of a mechanic for charging balls before release,” but are unsure whether this made it to the final game. Area of effect attacks from Z-A might also be part of the game now. This would bring in a lot of new mechanics and breathe some fresh life into a decades-old franchise.
Dynamic Weather Will Affect Terrain
Don’t be fooled by the beautiful environment of Pokémon Winds and Waves: leaks report that the environment will present players with many obstacles to overcome. The games’ official website confirms this, stating that “during this adventure, you’ll be able to team up with all kinds of Pokemon to overcome both the difficult road ahead and even the forces of nature that block your path at times.”
The leaks and rumors take this a step further. According to some unconfirmed information, Winds and Waves will have a dynamic weather system which will lead to terrain changes. In other words, live weather changes will also change how the environment looks and feels, potentially throwing new obstacles in players’ way.
An X post by user Light_88_ suggests that the game may take things even further and give Pokémon the ability to create and manipulate weather conditions themselves. This ties into another big leak that has so far been unconfirmed: the concept of “Netsu,” or heat, being a key part of the game’s mechanics in some way.
Players Will Have A Hoverboard That Syncs To Pokémon Abilities
Being able to ride Pokémon through different terrains has always been integral to the game (see: Surf and Fly). But recent games like Scarlet and Violet, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus have made rideable Pokémon an even more important element of the games.
Though you might expect the same of the upcoming Pokémon Winds and Waves games, there is one minor problem: Developers would have had to include visuals for every Pokémon that can help players traverse across ground, sky, and sea. To get around this, well-known Pokémon leaker Centro LEAKS shares how the developers potentially got around this on X: hoverboards.
According to the rumor, Rotom Hoverboards will sync up to various Pokémon, and allow players to use their field abilities. “For example, when syncing to a flying Pokémon the hoverboard gets the ability to fly, and while synced to a Pokémon that can dive you can go underwater,” says the X post.
Using a hoverboard to get around in the upcoming Pokémon Winds and Waves seems like a safe middle-ground for devs and players. Plus, it would be fun, making this one of the many still-unconfirmed leaks that we’re hoping turn out to be true.
- Released
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2027
- Developer(s)
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Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
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The Pokemon Company, Nintendo
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Number of Players
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Single-player