Rumors of 300 New Pokémon in Winds and Waves Spark Mixed Reactions Among Fans

The next chapter in the Pokémon saga was revealed earlier this year during the celebration of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. Pokémon Winds and Waves will mark the first mainline titles to launch exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2, set to arrive sometime next year. Since their announcement, both The Pokémon Company and Nintendo have kept details under wraps, leaving dedicated fans eager for more insights.

This anticipation has sparked a keen interest in every little detail, leading to a flurry of rumors and supposed “massive leaks.” One notable rumor from a source on X claims that Winds and Waves will introduce “the highest amount of new Pokémon ever in a Pokémon game,” suggesting around 300 new Pokémon and forms are on the horizon.

How credible is this claim? Not very, as many leakers have a track record of being unreliable. Despite CentroLeaks stating they could “independently verify with other sources” and hearing similar information, they advised fans to “take it with a grain of salt” and treat it as a RUMOR for now. Still, the prospect of such a significant influx of new Pokémon has fans buzzing.

“Dude, that honestly sounds like too much lmao,” one user commented. “I hope the quantity matches the quality if that is the case. But regardless, I do think the majority will be new forms.” Another user expressed enthusiasm: “300 new Pokémon would have sold me without any gimmick introduced.”

With weather likely playing a central role in Winds and Waves, the idea of weather-specific forms has fans excited about potential new variations of Castform, the Generation 3 Pokémon that changes forms based on the weather. “For the love of god, if they don’t buff Castform and give it new forms,” one user remarked.

“The real question is, will Eevee finally get new evolutions or not?” another user pondered, and we couldn’t agree more. It’s surprising that this little fox hasn’t received a Dragon-type evolution yet.

On the PokeLeaks subreddit, it’s claimed that Winds and Waves’ Pokédex will feature around 530 Pokémon, with 300 of them being new. These figures are quite high, leading many to speculate that regional and weather-based forms could account for the large number of new Pokémon. “Can’t seriously be more genuine new Pokémon than Gen 1 and 2 combined,” one Redditor noted.

“Calling it now that it’s 307 spaces for unique models to display in the Pokédex,” another Redditor suggested. “Perhaps every new Pokémon has a gender difference.”

The concept of regional and weather-based forms stems from a leak Game Freak experienced in 2024. One aspect of Winds and Waves that leaked but hasn’t been officially confirmed yet is a focus on weather and potential “seed” Pokémon. It’s not far-fetched to think that weather in Winds and Waves could influence how a new Pokémon evolves, similar to how the day-and-night cycle affects Eevee’s evolution. When the first trailer for Pokémon Winds and Waves dropped, some elements of that 2024 leak were validated, including descriptions of the starter trio’s appearances.

If weather-based Pokémon forms are indeed a gimmick in Winds and Waves, it makes the idea of 300 new Pokémon seem plausible, especially if many of those are variations of existing and new Pokémon. Most generations typically introduce around 150 brand-new Pokémon, so 300 would be quite a leap.

For now, details about the new Pokémon in Winds and Waves remain scarce. We know about the trio of adorable starters, two new Pikachus, and… that’s about it. Based on the announcement trailer, a handful of returning Pokémon from previous games have been confirmed for Winds and Waves.

With the release of Pokémon Winds and Waves not scheduled until 2027, fans can expect a steady stream of rumors and speculation in the meantime.

Leakers with established credibility have shared a map illustration that reveals all of the game’s islands, including gym types.