Pokémon Winds and Waves is shaping up to be an ambitious next step for the Pokémon series, following an era of consistently heavy criticism surrounding the franchise. While recent games have still sold well and received plenty of love from fans, they’ve also been subject to scrutiny regarding graphical limitations, abundant bugs, and a general lack of forward momentum.
Things might finally be exiting stasis, though, at least if the latest leak turns out to be correct. According to the intel, Pokémon Winds and Waves will be taking a giant step forward for the Pokédex, revamping the roster in a way that no game has before.
According to Centro Leaks on X, Pokémon Winds and Waves will allegedly feature “around 300 new Pokémon / forms,” marking the “highest amount of new Pokémon ever in a Pokémon game.” Centro Leaks acknowledges that the report stretches credulity, but suggests in a reply to the original tweet that the claim has been verified with multiple sources. Nine hours later, Centro Leaks shared an update upgrading the claim from a rumor to “VERY LIKELY REAL” thanks to the addition of more sources.
Nonetheless, Centro Leaks clarifies that the only verified information is thatPokémon Winds and Waves feature roughly 300 new Pokémon placeholders, which could break down to a large number of new forms or regional variants rather than exclusively new Pokémon. Either way, it still sounds like a massive addition.
On one hand, this sounds like an exciting way for Pokémon to refresh its brand (and revamp its extensive merchandise offerings for even more profit). There’s no better way to reinvigorate the excitement of collection and battling than to offer a new world of Pokémon to discover, and it could make Winds and Waves feel like a proper way to set the Switch 2 era apart from the Switch.
On the other hand, dedicating so many resources to new Pokémon could spread the rest of the game’s development thin. The series is in dire need of some upgrades across the board, and it’s not yet clear how many criticisms of Scarlet and Violet will actually be addressed here.
Hopefully, Pokémon Winds and Waves will be able to fulfill its ambitions and chart a bold new course for the Pokémon series. With Nintendo and Game Freak remaining quiet for now, we might have to wait until 2027 for the big questions to start getting some official answers.
- 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
