2025 was a relatively quiet year Pokemon, although it has seen release Pokemon Legends: ZA and its DLC this year. That said, there are a lot of exciting things on the horizon for 2026 that will eventually overtake it. There is a confirmed release date Pokemon Pokopia, first, but also strong indications that Gen 10 is just around the corner.
Although nothing official Pokemon Gen 10 has been confirmed by Nintendo or The Pokemon Company at this point, fans can prepare for Gen 10, its new region, its new Pokemon and new evolutions for the franchise.
Pokemon Gen 10 coming out in 2026?
Almost certainly yes. Earlier this year there was a massive data breach called Pokemon Teraleak 2 which revealed the internal plans. According to these documents, the Gen 10 games are well into development and are slated for release in 2026 as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. Fans can reasonably expect brand new information on Pokémon Day in February, with a fall or winter 2026 release. This would be similar Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's schedule; the two games were revealed in February 2022 and released in November of that year.
It's worth noting that since the Pokémon series began in 1996, there's never been a gap of more than four years between generations. Most generations were released three years apart, with some exceptions Diamond and Pearl (four years later Ruby and Sapphire) and Black and White (four years later Diamond and Pearl). It seems highly unlikely that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company would want to break such a consistent pattern, virtually guaranteeing that Gen 10 will arrive in 2026.
What we know about Pokemon Gen 10
The current information regarding the Generation 10 games comes mainly from Teraleak 2, as well as some subsequent smaller leaks during the second half of 2025.
- Game Names: Pokemon wind (or The winds) and Pokemon Wave (or waves)
- Region: A large chain of approximately 30 islands inspired by Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia
- Platform: Exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2
Mechanics
Gen 10 games will focus heavily on movement and traversal. Like Pokemon Sword and Shield Rotom Bike, the player will have a Rotom-based mode of transportation — in this case, a scooter. According to Centro Leaks, players will be able to “tether” Pokemon to the Rotom Scooter to use their traversal abilities, such as flight and underwater travel. Centro Leaks reported that players could initially ride all Pokemon, but this was considered too ambitious and the Rotom Scooter was implemented instead.
The islands comprising the Generation 10 region will reportedly include a variety of biomes, including deserts, jungles, and volcanoes. Teraleak 2 stated that some of the islands would be procedurally generated, but Centro Leaks later stated that this was dialed back as part of a general downsizing of the overly ambitious concept of Generation 10. It is unconfirmed whether procedural generation was completely removed or the number of procedurally generated islands was much smaller. However, some “MMORPG-like” multiplayer elements will be implemented, including raids, social hubs and possibly “shared maps”.
The primary gimmick for the generation, following Gen 8's Dynamaxing and Gen 9's Terrastalization, will reportedly be weather-based moves to match the leaked game titles. Details on how the “weather moves” will work are currently scarce, but theories include that certain moves will become stronger or only available under certain weather conditions.
Leaks indicate this Pokemon Gen 10 games will return to turn-based combat rather than real-time combat Pokemon Legends: ZA. However, the leak indicated that the area of influence was moving, which was received positively FOR players, will return in a significant capacity, perhaps as part of a weather-based mechanic.
Gen 10 Pokemon: Starters, Legendaries and more
Leaks suggest that Gen 10 will feature a special creature called “Seed Pokemon” in addition to the traditional box art Legendary Pokemon.
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Its initial form will likely be “cute and small”, similar to Baby Pokémon.
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It will be obtained before the start of the game.
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The Seed Pokemon will evolve when visiting a special island, and its evolution will feature “infinite variations”, possibly based on patterns, similar to Spinda's various patterns (to a higher degree).
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Seed Pokémon will be required to battle each game's legendary box.
In addition to the Seed Pokemon, the tradition of each game containing a “Box Legendary” will continue. These legendary Pokemon are said to have designs inspired by waves and storms, and are described as “Grandma” and “Grandpa” in the leaked documents. Windy Legendary is said to be the grandfather, and Wave's grandmother. These legendary Pokemon live on a special island far away from humanity and only allow those who have raised their Seed Pokemon to meet and catch them.
Included in the leaks were a few more scattered details regarding Pokemon in Generation 10. Some Pokemon from Generation 1, including Pikachu, Charizard, Machamp, and Snorlax — which appeared in the leaked screenshot — are said to be getting updated, redesigned models. The redesigned Pikachu was briefly shared by Centro Leaks before being taken down, where it received a negative response from fans. Other Pokemon that appear in the leaked screenshots include Lucario and Sandygast.
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Pikachu
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Charizard
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Machamp
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Snorlax
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Lucario
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Sandygast
Battles against large “boss” Pokemon like Titans Pokemon Scarlet and purple, are seemingly coming back, according to the leaked assets and data. Perhaps most importantly, it looks like players will be able to pet every single Pokemon they encounter in Generation 10, a feature that fans of the franchise have long requested. (Since the “ride with every Pokemon” feature has been removed, it's possible petting has been removed as well.)
Story and structure
Players will reportedly begin their Gen 10 experience in a large tourist town where they will encounter their Starter Pokémon during a traffic jam. They'd rather catch a Starter Pokemon than have the professor give it to them. However, the games feature a professor, supposedly a survivalist studying the weather in the region. The leaked data also suggests that the player's journey will include 18 gyms, one for each Pokemon type. It has not been confirmed whether these will be traditional gyms or “trials” like those featured in the Pokemon Sun and Moon, though the aforementioned battles against large “boss” Pokémon seem to be part of this system.
The central story of the game sees the player learn about survival and living in harmony with Pokémon, with the villains being a group that wants to build more cities and buildings in the region to increase tourism. Sustainability will reportedly be a major theme in Generation 10. One mechanic mentioned, “Pokémon Rescue,” may draw on actual wildlife conservation efforts, where the player may need to search for sick, injured, or lost Pokémon using a Rotom Drone and then assist them. “Pokémon Rescue” also reminds Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games that often involved helping Pokemon in dangerous situations.
According to Teraleak 2, Gen 10 Pokemon games will feature multiple endings heavily dependent on player choice. Factors that can affect which ending a player receives include:
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Choice to skip or challenge gyms (most or all may be optional)
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Evolution of Seed Pokemon
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Fighting / Catching Box Legendaries
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Confrontation of the rogue group
The open-ended structure of the games will reportedly allow players to push through the ending once the game's island traversal system is unlocked, though this will likely involve facing some pretty tricky battles with low-level Pokemon. However, the ability to reach the end in a straight line can make Gen 10 games quite popular among the speedrunning and challenger community.
More information will likely come on Pokemon Day 2026
Pokemon Day is held annually on February 27, the anniversary of the original Pokemon red and green launch in Japan. On this day, there is usually a “Pokémon Presents” stream that reveals a lot of exciting new information. It seems likely that Pokemon Day 2026 will see the reveal of the Gen 10 games, possibly including their official launch date and a look at the initial Pokemon. Since 2026 will be 30 Pokemon franchise, its Pokemon Day celebration could potentially be bigger than ever.
Pokemon Fans should stay tuned to Pokemon Day 2026 for more information on the rumored Gen 10 games. While it seems likely that players will have to wait until the fall or winter of 2026 to actually get their hands on Pokémon Generation 10, the cozy life simulator Pokemon Pokopia will be released on March 5, giving Pokemon enthusiasts something to tide them over for the next major games.
After a relatively quiet 2025, 2026 will almost certainly be a big year for the company Pokemon franchise with a new generation on the horizon and several other exciting projects reportedly in development. Pokemon Day is only a few months away, so fans don't have to wait much longer to find out more.
