Pokémon Winds And Waves Most Controversial Reveal Is Actually Great News

Pokémon Winds and Waves gave us all a little hope that Game Freak may have finally turned this series around and delivered something great. Of course, we don’t know for sure whether it will achieve such greatness yet, but from the very first announcement trailer, it certainly feels like it is heading in that direction. I’m definitely hopeful for this franchise in what may just be the first time in well over a decade, and that is a reassuring sentiment. However, as much as I wish everyone felt this way, Winds and Waves has drummed up a little controversy.

Not everything is swimmingly perfect with the Gen 10 games, as many fans have taken umbrage about a specific detail revealed in the initial trailer. While most people seemed rather happy about the graphical update and the general look and tone of the game, it seems some were upset about it not releasing until 2027. The potentially over a year wait is compounded by other disappointing Pokémon news, which has only served to make things worse. However, I believe that we should be celebrating Winds and Waves’ year-long delay, rather than admonishing The Pokémon Company for not releasing it sooner.

Pokémon Winds & Waves Needs All The Time It Can Get

It somewhat baffles me that people are upset around Pokémon Winds and Waves release date. While I can appreciate that it will have been four years since the last mainline title released by the time it launches, the wait feels utterly necessary, especially considering that everything is riding on this game’s success. I feel like it is widely known that Pokémon has hit a rough patch as of late, with practically every Nintendo Switch entry disappointing fans. If Winds and Waves succeeds, it is possible that Pokémon could end up facing a similar fate to Call of Duty, and no one wants that.

By taking at least another year, Game Freak is giving itself the time it needs to deliver the experience we all want. Let’s not forget that this is the first Pokémon game exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, and Game Freak is clearly working with all kinds of new technology it hasn’t had to use for previous entries. There’s a lot that could go wrong here, and by taking a year, it at least gives us hope that it can avoid those potential pitfalls. Indeed, the delayed release date is one of the few factors giving me hope for Winds and Waves.

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Of course, I do appreciate that a lot of the discourse around this release date has more to do with the relative lack of Pokémon games coming out between now and then. People have gotten used to a mainline or Legends Pokémon game releasing roughly once a year, and we won’t be getting either in 2026. However, I wouldn’t be so sure that there won’t be any more Pokémon games released between now and the Gen 10 games. After all, 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of this storied franchise, and The Pokémon Company likely has something up its sleeve.

There Will Likely Be Plenty More Pokémon Before 2027

There’s a very good chance that 2026 will be the year of Pokémon re-releases, especially after the huge success of the recent FireRed and LeafGreen Switch ports. Fans have already begun speculating that Ruby and Sapphire ports are on their way, and we may even see Switch versions of the classic Pokémon DS games like Black and White, and maybe Diamond and Pearl. While it is likely The Pokémon Company will stagger these releases as opposed to dropping them all this year, I would wager we’ll see at least the Ruby and Sapphire ports, if not more, before Winds and Waves comes out.

This is all without mentioning that Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness was added to Nintendo Switch Online in March 2026, and Pokémon Colosseum is confirmed to join eventually. We may get future support, updates, and DLC for Pokémon Pokopia, a game many are already calling the best Pokémon game ever made. Of course, that was also released in 2026. Simply put, we’ve had three Pokémon games added to the Switch and Switch 2 in some capacity in 2026, and more are likely to come. So, let’s not worry about Winds and Waves being delayed.

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I would sincerely hope that if by 2027 Winds and Waves is still not ready, The Pokémon Company delays it until 2028. At this point, it is better we get a genuinely great Pokémon game on the Nintendo Switch 2 long into that console’s lifespan than a rushed one a year and a bit in. Were we to get a bad Pokémon game in 2027, that would only serve to have made the wait both more annoying and less worthwhile. Delayed games are ultimately always going to be better than rushed ones, and, as The Pokémon Company can absolutely afford to delay it as long as possible, I sincerely hope it does until Winds and Waves is completely ready and illustrative of the high quality this new era of Pokémon needs to achieve.

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