Pokémon Generation 10 – A Chance for Redemption
As we stand in early 2026, the Nintendo Switch 2 has already hosted its first major Pokémon release: Legends: Z-A. While Z-A achieved a stable 60fps and noticeable visual upgrades over the horrid Scarlet & Violet, it still fell short of the graphical fidelity fans expected from a first-party game on next-gen hardware. Game Freak’s Switch era technical issues continue to haunt them today.
While Pokémon‘s Switch era delivered meaningful gameplay evolution—particularly through the Legends series—the time has come for Pokémon to evolve beyond mechanics alone. The world’s highest-grossing media franchise deserves presentation to match its ambition, not visuals that pale in comparison to countless indie titles.
Based on rumors and leaks from the massive ‘Teraleak’ data breach in late 2025, reported primarily by Centro Leaks and Pokeos, Generation 10 paints a picture of Game Freak pulling out all the stops for a true evolution that takes advantage of Switch 2 hardware. These details should be taken with a grain of salt, but if true, this could be the redemption Pokémon desperately needs.
A Fresh Start — New Engine, New Themes
Leaks suggest the traditional dual-release structure will return with Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, evoking themes of infinity, nature’s fury, and endless exploration. Directed by Shigeru Ohmori (Sun/Moon, Legends: Arceus), the games emphasize survival in dense jungles, underwater diving, and procedural island generation—blending open-world freedom with Minecraft-like replayability.
The foundation for this ambition is Pokémon Engine X, a brand-new proprietary engine built from the ground up. Previous Switch titles were lambasted for inexcusably poor visuals. Engine X promises realistic water simulation, dynamic wind effects, and high-fidelity models fully optimized for Switch 2 hardware. Early demos showcase lush jungles and crashing waves that look straight out of Xenoblade Chronicles.
I’m not expecting Pokémon Winds & Waves to look like Red Dead Redemption 2, but I at least expect a game that’s on par with Breath of the Wild and the Xenoblade Chronicles series—titles that proved Nintendo hardware can deliver stunning open worlds. If it could also reach a smooth 60 FPS, it would be a technical leap of generational proportions, maybe 2 in Game Freak’s case.
A Southeast Asian-Inspired Region of Unprecedented Scale
Gen 10’s region reportedly draws from Maritime Southeast Asia, heavily inspired by Indonesia (Borneo, West Papua), Malaysia, and a merged Singapore-peninsula landmass. Leaked maps align closely with real-world geography, featuring volcanic chains like Krakatoa, rare tropical highlands, and sprawling archipelagos. The region is split by the Wallace Line—a real biological barrier that will create unique Pokémon distributions on either side, mirroring how actual fauna differ across this divide.
The scale is monumental thanks to procedural generation. Southeast Asia spans approximately 4.5 million km²—nearly eight times Paldea’s Iberian footprint. Individual islands could rival entire previous regions. Rumors suggest procedural generation will tailor islands to your starter “Seed Pokémon,” ensuring no two playthroughs are identical.
Diving In Deeper
Underwater exploration takes center stage with fully realized diving mechanics. Engine X will reportedly be able to render breathtaking sub-aquatic realms. Imagine dynamic currents sweeping through vibrant reefs, shafts of sunlight piercing kelp forests teeming with new species, and shadowy shipwrecks concealing evolutionary items and secret grottos.
You will reportedly unlock diving through a dedicated quest to access fluid swimming, aquatic ride mounts, and immersive underwater battles—finally delivering on the promise that Ruby/Sapphire barely scratched. Procedural elements generate bespoke ocean biomes for endless discovery.
Seed Pokémon — The Heart of Infinity
Leaks suggest that your adventure starts in a bustling resort city, where you receive the Seed Pokémon—a baby-like companion potentially replacing traditional starters. This becomes the cornerstone of the game’s replayability system. How you raise it directly influences the procedural generation of your archipelago’s islands, spawning unique biomes, encounters, and layouts tailored to your choices.
Its evolution is equally revolutionary. It will reportedly bloom into a procedurally generated final form with infinite variations: fractal patterns, custom designs, shifting colors, and unique shapes. No two players’ evolutions will match, creating genuine ownership and discovery. The system extends to multiplayer: register your island on servers to let friends visit your bespoke world, raid MMO-style bosses, or explore through your unique map.
The 18 Trials
Winds & Waves expands on Scarlet & Violet‘s formula with 18 trials aligned to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals—weaving themes like ocean conservation and clean energy into Pokémon challenges. The 18 challenges will potentially be structured as 8 traditional gyms, 5 Titan-like behemoths, and 5 Team Star-style boss encounters. “Gym Adventure” quests blend exploration with battles, tying into survival mechanics for a non-linear progression path, addressing the rigid gym structures of past games. Completing all 18 challenges will allow you to face off against the Champion.
Bosses and MMO Raids
Boss battles evolve into Nushi encounters—massive, Majin-possessed Vessels inspired by Alola’s Totems and Paldea’s Titans. These feature environmental hazards, ally summons, and horde attacks, integrated into trials and available as standalone challenges. Majin seems to be the gimmick of Winds/Waves, much like Mega Evolutions and Terastallization, and will be based on weather effects.
The multiplayer potentially features MMO Raid Battles—large-scale co-op showdowns reportedly scaling from 4-player squads to 100+ global parties. Coordinate Majin attacks, dodge hazards, and defeat territorial bosses in lobbies that will surely stress-test Engine X’s capabilities if true. Pokémon Rescue missions are set to add cooperative urgency: team up for jungle treks or emergency dives to save stranded Pokémon during typhoons and other natural disasters.
Trainers will reportedly be able to do Cross-Island Visits with other trainers. Register your procedurally generated archipelago on servers, allowing friends to explore your unique world, much like Animal Crossing. One player’s volcanic lair may be completely opposite to another’s coral paradise. This fosters emergent stories and genuine social gameplay in a fresh way for the franchise.
Voice Acting is a Must
Pokémon‘s cutscenes have been visual treats since Sun & Moon, yet one glaring omission persists: the absence of voice acting. Characters deliver pivotal revelations through silently jarring lip-syncing, and it only serves to make the presentation look cheap. In an era where even indie titles are fully voice-acted, Pokémon‘s voiceless approach undermines its narrative potential. With Engine X elevating visuals, it will become even more unappealing when a cutscene is completely mute. Integrating full voice acting—or at least partial voice acting with grunts and catch phrases for smaller scenes—could take the presentation a long way for Winds & Waves. This isn’t just a want; it’s essential for Gen 10’s redemption arc.
Game Freak’s Magnum Opus
The Pokémon Generation 10’s leaks—from Engine X’s technical improvements to a dynamic map completely eclipsing Paldea—signal Game Freak’s boldest ambition yet. Procedural elements, survival quests, and themes of infinity could make Winds & Waves a game that is played endlessly up until the next generation. It also seems to be addressing every complaint from the Switch era. With Beast of Reincarnation also releasing this year, Game Freak themselves appear to be poised for a studio-wide renaissance, not just Pokémon.
Of course, early Teraleak builds are subject to change, but the potential is undeniable. If Game Freak delivers on the promises and the polish is there, 2026 could mark a true evolution for Pokémon. Mark your calendars for February 27th, 2026. Pokémon Day will reveal whether Game Freak is ready to ride the winds and waves into a new era—or if we’re in for another storm of disappointment. Either way, the journey to those Southeast Asian shores has never looked more promising.
