Pokémon Waves
Pokémon Waves brings a new generation of Pokémon to Switch 2 with a fresh region, new Pokémon, and a bigger sense of discovery.
Why This One Is on My Radar
A new generation of Pokémon always feels like a reset button for the entire series.
New Pokémon, new starters, new towns, new music, new characters, and a new region all create that moment where nobody fully knows what the adventure is going to become yet. That is one of my favorite parts about Pokémon. Before the full Pokédex is known, every route, cave, beach, forest, and city has the potential to introduce something that becomes a new favorite.
What makes Pokémon Waves especially interesting is that it is arriving as one of the first mainline Pokémon games built exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2, alongside Pokémon Winds. That gives Game Freak a real opportunity to make this generation feel larger, smoother, and more modern than what we have seen before.
I am excited for the setting, the new Pokémon, and the possibility of diving returning as part of the adventure, but I do not want the game to lean on one gimmick too heavily. Pokémon Waves needs to feel like a complete Pokémon journey first, with exploration features that support the adventure rather than define it completely.
The Short Version
Pokémon Waves is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027 as one half of the next new Pokémon generation, alongside Pokémon Winds.
This is exciting because new Pokémon generations are where the series gets to surprise players again. The first team you build, the first strange new Pokémon you catch, the first town that sticks in your memory, and the first time the region really clicks are all part of what makes a new generation special.
The big question is whether Pokémon Waves can make that sense of discovery feel modern. I want a game that lets players explore freely, progress in a flexible order, and experience a story that feels compelling without being buried under endless silent text boxes. The graphics look beautiful, but Pokémon needs more than pretty environments. It needs pacing, personality, and stronger presentation.
Quick Details
Game file size: To be confirmed
No. of players: To be confirmed
System: Nintendo Switch 2
Release Date: 2027
ESRB rating: Rating pending
What Kind of Game Is This?
Pokémon Waves is an open-world Pokémon RPG set in a brand-new region, giving players a new adventure filled with new Pokémon, new characters, and new places to explore.
This is a new mainline Pokémon generation, which means the real appeal is discovery. You are learning a region from scratch, building a team without already knowing every perfect choice, and figuring out which new Pokémon are going to become your favorites.
The “Waves” identity suggests water, islands, and diving may play a role in the adventure, and I am excited about that. But the hope is that those features add variety to a larger Pokémon journey rather than narrowing the game’s identity too much. Diving could be great if it opens up secrets, routes, and memorable discoveries, but it should not make the whole game feel like it only has one environmental idea.
Why It Matters
Pokémon Waves matters because Pokémon needs its next generation to feel like a true step forward. The series has experimented a lot on Switch, especially with open areas, open-world structure, and different approaches to progression, but there is still a gap between what Pokémon is trying to become and what players know it could be.
This is where Pokémon Waves has a chance to make exploration feel better. A new region should feel alive, not just large. Routes, cities, natural areas, caves, coastlines, and optional discoveries should all feel like they have a purpose. If Game Freak can make exploration more flexible and more rewarding, this could be the kind of Pokémon game that encourages players to wander because they want to, not because the map is simply bigger.
For Nintendo Switch 2, this also matters because these games will help define what Pokémon looks like on the new hardware. A stronger technical foundation, better presentation, and more thoughtful world design could go a long way toward making this generation feel like the modern Pokémon leap fans have been waiting for.
My Player Notes
What I’m excited about
I’m excited about Pokémon Waves because a new generation means new Pokémon, new teams, new favorites, and a new region to learn from scratch. That early discovery phase is one of the best parts of Pokémon, especially before every team option and optimal route has been figured out.
What I’m cautious about
I’m cautious because the “Waves” theme could become too narrow if the game leans too heavily on water-based exploration. Diving sounds exciting, but it needs to support the larger adventure rather than make the game feel repetitive or overly focused on one type of environment.
What I want to know next
I want to know how progression works. If Gyms or major challenges return, I hope players can approach them in any order with level scaling that supports that freedom. Scarlet and Violet gave players freedom on paper, but the lack of true scaling made the intended path feel more obvious than it should have.
What would make this work
This works if Pokémon Waves feels like a complete new-generation Pokémon adventure with stronger exploration, better pacing, and more modern presentation. Diving, ocean travel, and environmental variety can all add to that, but the core journey still needs to be compelling.
What could hold it back
What could hold it back is familiar Pokémon friction. If the game looks beautiful but still feels too text-heavy, too rigid, or too quiet during important story moments, it may feel like the series improved visually without fully modernizing where it matters most.
Who I'd Recommend This To
Pokémon Waves is worth keeping on your radar if you love the beginning of a new Pokémon generation: discovering unfamiliar Pokémon, building a team without knowing the full roster, exploring a new region, and seeing what kind of identity the series creates next.
This also looks like a strong game to watch if you are hoping Pokémon feels more modern on Nintendo Switch 2. The potential is there for a more flexible, more beautiful, and more satisfying adventure, especially if Game Freak uses the new hardware to improve more than just the visuals.
I would be more cautious if your biggest frustrations with recent Pokémon games are technical polish, rigid progression, silent cutscenes, or text-heavy storytelling. Those are the exact areas Pokémon Waves needs to improve, and until we see more, this feels like a game worth being hopeful about without pretending the concerns are gone.
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