Mega leak unveils Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Wave with massively updated graphics and new gameplay elements
Just a few days before the launch of Pokémon Legends: Z–A, Centro Leaks has revealed many details about Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Wave, which are the 10th generation Pokémon games that are likely direct successors to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The new Pokémon games are expected to launch in 2026, with paid DLC content arriving in the following year.
Initial screenshots and an in-engine video already show the graphics. Whether the final games will look like this, or if Game Freak has to make some compromises to render the games smoothly on the Nintendo Switch 2 (from $449 on Amazon), remains to be seen. In any case, this leak points to a massive graphics upgrade, at least compared to Scarlet and Violet. Game Freak can apparently create an open world with dense vegetation, more complex environmental geometry, and significantly more detailed shadows thanks to the more powerful Nintendo Switch 2.
The images already show a hoverboard, which players can presumably use to quickly move through the game world. Centro Leaks discovered many details in addition to these screenshots. Accordingly, the next-generation Pokémon games introduce new gameplay mechanics like enhanced weather effects that can affect Pokémon battles. Moreover, so-called "Seed" Pokémon can reportedly evolve into an infinite number of variations.
Players can also ride on more Pokémon than ever before. The story revolves around a 13-year-old protagonist whose mother wins the lottery, which gives the young trainer the opportunity to travel the world. The antagonists are the so-called "Land Development Team", which wants to expand land area at the expense of the ocean, a concept that feels reminiscent of Team Magma in Pokémon Ruby.
Pokémon Wind and Wave will reportedly feature procedurally generated islands, underwater areas and multiplayer Raid mechanics. Game Freak is allegedly spending the equivalent of $19.6 million on the games' development. As usual, these leaks should be treated with caution, as Game Freak and Nintendo's plans could still change before the eventual release.
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