There's a sense of excitement in the air ahead of tomorrow's Pokemon Day livestream, with speculation that the showcase will give us our first look at Pokemon Gen 10. While nothing has been confirmed by Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, or Game Freak, the mood in the room is positive, and people are reading the Sinistea leaves, claiming that all signs point toward a big reveal on February 27. Is there some truth to this, or is it wishful thinking? Let's break it down.
Since 2010, new Pokemon generations have debuted every three years, but that pattern ended after the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in 2022. That wait between new mainline entries has been filled by a variety of Pokemon projects, including expansions for Scarlet and Violet, remakes of the Diamond and Pearl games, multiple mobile titles, and last year's Pokemon Legends: Z-A, which shifted the series away from turn-based battling and toward real-time action. To put it simply, everyone involved in Pokemon has been busy, but there might be a very good reason why it has taken a little longer for a new Pokemon generation to debut.
You don't have to be a Team Rocket scientist to realize that Pokemon is a cornerstone of Nintendo, as the franchise sells in the millions and is a major reason to buy a Switch or Switch 2 console. Launching a new Pokemon game in 2026 means that the franchise can take advantage of the momentum that the 30th-anniversary celebrations will generate and the Switch 2 playerbase, which already boasts impressive numbers. It also means that Nintendo has a killer game for the Switch 2: something it'll be banking on if it plans to release its new Pokemon game at a time when Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to consume everything in its path, from sales to player attention.
One of the big complaints about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet when it first launched was that it suffered from numerous technical issues. From stuttering frame rates to graphical hiccups, these issues made it hard for people to enjoy its frictionless gameplay and the vibrant world of the Paldea region. Fast-forward to 2025, and the games got a welcome upgrade on Switch 2, giving players an experience that was consistently smooth and addressed many of the graphical issues that had been plaguing it since launch.
Could it be better? Absolutely, but Scarlet and Violet in its current form is a great benchmark for the franchise, as it streamlines the game and makes it easier than ever to enjoy the core catching-and-battling gameplay that has delighted fans for 30 years. If the next Pokemon game can take that baton and run with it, we could be looking at the next gold standard for the franchise.
That's the popular theory following a report last year that the Gen-10 games are titled Pokemon Wind and Pokemon Waves. As usual, take this with a pinch of salt until Nintendo and The Pokemon Company officially confirm what's next, but the leaker claims that the Gen-10 games will be themed around the concept of infinity and will be helmed by longtime Pokemon game director Shigeru Ohmori.
The rumors claim that the next Pokemon games will be set in a region inspired by the islands of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Something to note here is that this information contradicts older rumors of Gen 10 having a region inspired by Greece. Video game development is fluid, so maybe the report of a Mediterranean area was true--until it wasn't.
The OG Switch console still has plenty of life in it, but anyone who played Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in 2022 on it probably won't want to play a new Pokemon game on the aging hardware. Pokémon Legends: Z-A launched on both Switch 1 and Switch 2, but Pokemon Pokopia is a Switch 2 exclusive, so Nintendo might be ready to shift the franchise toward its new machine. After all, Pokemon games tend to have a long shelf life, and Nintendo rarely discounts its exclusives by a significant margin, so Pokemon fans might be forced to upgrade if they want to catch 'em all in Gen 10.
Not too much longer! The Pokemon Presents livestream will kick off on February 27 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET, and by the time it ends, either your Drifloon will have been popped by disappointment, or you'll feel more charged up than a Pikachu caught in a thunderstorm.
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It has been four years since a new Pokemon generation debuted
Since 2010, new Pokemon generations have debuted every three years, but that pattern ended after the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in 2022. That wait between new mainline entries has been filled by a variety of Pokemon projects, including expansions for Scarlet and Violet, remakes of the Diamond and Pearl games, multiple mobile titles, and last year's Pokemon Legends: Z-A, which shifted the series away from turn-based battling and toward real-time action. To put it simply, everyone involved in Pokemon has been busy, but there might be a very good reason why it has taken a little longer for a new Pokemon generation to debut.
2026 is the perfect year for Pokemon Gen 10
You don't have to be a Team Rocket scientist to realize that Pokemon is a cornerstone of Nintendo, as the franchise sells in the millions and is a major reason to buy a Switch or Switch 2 console. Launching a new Pokemon game in 2026 means that the franchise can take advantage of the momentum that the 30th-anniversary celebrations will generate and the Switch 2 playerbase, which already boasts impressive numbers. It also means that Nintendo has a killer game for the Switch 2: something it'll be banking on if it plans to release its new Pokemon game at a time when Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to consume everything in its path, from sales to player attention.
The Switch 2 has already shown us what a next-gen Pokemon game is capable of
One of the big complaints about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet when it first launched was that it suffered from numerous technical issues. From stuttering frame rates to graphical hiccups, these issues made it hard for people to enjoy its frictionless gameplay and the vibrant world of the Paldea region. Fast-forward to 2025, and the games got a welcome upgrade on Switch 2, giving players an experience that was consistently smooth and addressed many of the graphical issues that had been plaguing it since launch.
Could it be better? Absolutely, but Scarlet and Violet in its current form is a great benchmark for the franchise, as it streamlines the game and makes it easier than ever to enjoy the core catching-and-battling gameplay that has delighted fans for 30 years. If the next Pokemon game can take that baton and run with it, we could be looking at the next gold standard for the franchise.
Is the next game really Pokemon Wind and Waves?
That's the popular theory following a report last year that the Gen-10 games are titled Pokemon Wind and Pokemon Waves. As usual, take this with a pinch of salt until Nintendo and The Pokemon Company officially confirm what's next, but the leaker claims that the Gen-10 games will be themed around the concept of infinity and will be helmed by longtime Pokemon game director Shigeru Ohmori.
Where will Pokemon Gen 10 be set?
The rumors claim that the next Pokemon games will be set in a region inspired by the islands of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Something to note here is that this information contradicts older rumors of Gen 10 having a region inspired by Greece. Video game development is fluid, so maybe the report of a Mediterranean area was true--until it wasn't.
Will Pokemon Gen 10 be a Switch 2 exclusive?
The OG Switch console still has plenty of life in it, but anyone who played Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in 2022 on it probably won't want to play a new Pokemon game on the aging hardware. Pokémon Legends: Z-A launched on both Switch 1 and Switch 2, but Pokemon Pokopia is a Switch 2 exclusive, so Nintendo might be ready to shift the franchise toward its new machine. After all, Pokemon games tend to have a long shelf life, and Nintendo rarely discounts its exclusives by a significant margin, so Pokemon fans might be forced to upgrade if they want to catch 'em all in Gen 10.
How much longer are we going to wait for answers?
Not too much longer! The Pokemon Presents livestream will kick off on February 27 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET, and by the time it ends, either your Drifloon will have been popped by disappointment, or you'll feel more charged up than a Pikachu caught in a thunderstorm.
Source