All the Details on Pokémon Winds and Waves

There’s a lot of buzz online about Pokémon WindsandWaves, but much of it stems from unverified leaks, making it tricky to sift through what’s genuine and what’s just speculation. Let’s break down what we know for certain and distinguish it from the rumors.

While the name of the new region in WindsandWaves remains under wraps, the announcement trailer gave us a glimpse of its expansive open world. It seems to draw inspiration from Southeast Asia, particularly with influences from the Philippines, along with hints of Indonesia and Malaysia. Historically, each Pokémon region has mirrored real-world locations—like Kalos in Pokémon X and Y, which pays homage to France, and Unova in Black and White, inspired by the United States. These connections often extend beyond geography, incorporating cultural elements, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the final games.

In recent years, Pokémon has been testing the waters with open-world gameplay, with titles like Legends: Arceus and Scarlet/Violet serving as early experiments. WindsandWaves is set to elevate this concept, allowing players to explore both above and below the water. The reveal trailer showcased some underwater diving, where players can encounter Pokémon that aren’t found on the surface, reminiscent of the diving mechanics in Ruby and Sapphire, but with a much richer environment than what was available on the GBA.

Traditionally, Pokémon has made its paired RPGs distinct from one another, often through exclusive monsters that encourage trading with friends. In more recent titles like Sword/Shield and Scarlet/Violet, these differences have become more pronounced, featuring unique characters, locations, outfits, and boss battles in each version. WindsandWaves will likely follow this trend, with the only confirmed distinction so far being the starting outfits. Players in Winds will sport a white cowboy hat and backpack, while those in Waves will wear a blue cap and bag, each adorned with different logos. It’s unclear if these logos represent different groups or institutions. In Scarlet and Violet, players attended one of two schools based on their game choice, which influenced their uniform colors. Here’s hoping WindsandWaves offers more freedom in fashion compared to those titles, as Legends: Z-A showcased some of the best styles in the series.

Currently, we know of three new starter Pokémon debuting in WindsandWaves, representing the classic grass, fire, and water types that players will choose from at the beginning of their adventure. This choice continues to highlight the series’ elemental dynamics for newcomers.

Beyond the starters, the first trailer revealed a few familiar Pokémon from previous generations. As of now, you can catch a Pikachu to join your team, but WindsandWaves will also feature two new characters: Mr. Windychu and Ms. Wavychu. These adorable rodents are styled like your relatives on a beach getaway, and their names seem to align with the game titles. It’s still uncertain whether both will appear in each version or if they’ll be exclusive to their respective games.

WindsandWaves will mark the first Pokémon RPGs designed exclusively for the Switch 2. Given the significant technical improvements over Scarlet and Violet, this makes sense. Game Freak faced challenges getting their games to run smoothly on the original Switch, making the transition to the Switch 2’s stable 60fps a noticeable upgrade. If you haven’t upgraded yet, it might be wise to consider it before WindsandWaves drops.

There’s a lot of unverified information circulating about WindsandWaves, including potential Pokédex numbers, new evolutions for familiar faces, and even hints at a new battle mechanic that could shake up the series’ turn-based combat. Some of this info stems from the extensive Game Freak Teraleak, while other snippets have emerged from community leakers claiming to have access to an early, unfinished version of the game. For now, we’ve compiled some highlights, but remember to take everything with a grain of salt.

Pokémon WindsandWaves is set to launch in 2027.