Pokémon Winds and Waves release date: 2027, only on Switch 2

Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves come out in 2027, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2, in a simultaneous worldwide release. The Pokémon Company has not announced the exact day or the price, and Nintendo’s US store does not take pre-orders yet. The games were announced on Feb. 27, 2026, Pokémon Day, as the centerpiece of the series' 30th anniversary.

Pokémon Winds and Waves release date

1. Feb 27, 2026Pokémon Presents on Pokémon Day: Winds and Waves announced; FireRed and LeafGreen arrive on Switch
2. Mar 5, 2026Pokémon Pokopia launches on Switch 2
3. Apr 8, 2026Pokémon Champions launches on Switch
4. Aug 31, 2026PokémonXP and the World Championships end in San Francisco; 2027 Worlds set for Singapore
5. 2027Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves launch worldwide on Switch 2

The only official window is 2027. The Pokémon Company says Winds and Waves will launch at the same time around the world, but has not named a month or a day. The games were not part of the announcements at PokémonXP and the World Championships in San Francisco at the end of August, and the official site still shows the February reveal.

Only on Nintendo Switch 2

The official site says the games will be released “exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2,” and Nintendo’s US store lists Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves as separate Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives. There is no version for the original Switch. They are the first new Pokémon RPGs made only for Nintendo’s new console.

Price and pre-orders

The Pokémon Company and Nintendo have not announced a price, and the store pages do not accept pre-orders yet. Recent Pokémon releases on Switch 2 show where prices stand on Nintendo’s US store:

The three starters

Browt runs around photosynthesizing with the leaves on its brow; it is lively but a little clumsy. Pombon has a heat-generating organ in its lungs that makes the area below its throat glow; it is friendly and guileless. Gecqua fires springy balls of water from its tail and, The Pokémon Company says, is very intelligent and likes to put on airs.

Windswept islands, a vast ocean and two new Pikachu

Winds and Waves are set in an open world of windswept islands and a vast ocean. The Pokémon living there have developed their own ecosystems, and you team up with Pokémon to get past both the road ahead and the forces of nature that block your path. Nintendo’s store pages hint at the split: Winds is set in “a world shaped by the wind,” Waves in “a world shaped by the sea.”

You play as the main character, whose outfit differs between the two versions. The trailer also introduced two Pikachu with a new look, Mr. Windychu and Ms. Wavychu; The Pokémon Company has not said how they fit into the story. Starting with these games, Brazilian Portuguese becomes a selectable language in the main series.

The Pokémon Company has not revealed the region’s name, the Legendary Pokémon on the box or any other new Pokémon beyond the three starters.

Pokémon to play before 2027

• Pokémon Legends: Z-A($69.99 for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition), the most recent Pokémon RPG, with the Mega Dimension DLC.
• Pokémon Pokopia($69.99), a cozy building game on Switch 2 for up to four players.
• Pokémon ChampionsA free-to-download battle game on Switch, with a mobile version announced for 2026.
• Pokémon FireRed VersionAnd LeafGreen Version ($19.99 each on Switch), re-released for the 30th anniversary.

On Switch 2 this fall, the biggest Nintendo release is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Nov. 5. The full list is in our November 2026 release calendar.

This page is updated as soon as The Pokémon Company or Nintendo announces a release date, price or new details for Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves.