The Pokemon series reached its 30th anniversary with a big presentation showing off the two new RPGs, updates to existing games and events, and a year-long celebration called ‘What’s Your Favorite?’. The worldwide broadcast took place on Pokémon Day – February 27th, the date the franchise began – and showed what’s coming from now until 2027.
Announcement summary
Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves are to be released only on Nintendo Switch 2, and are expected in 2027. The company says these games are the next step in Pokémon RPGs, with open worlds to roam in, based around islands and the sea.
The presentation also said that current games and competitions will be supported – including the 2026 World Championships, and new events for fans. This shows a plan to have everything – the console games, mobile games, and the trading card game – working together during the 30th anniversary.
About Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves
Game Freak is making Pokémon Winds, which will be set in windy island groups, and Pokémon Waves, which will be in big ocean areas and along the coasts. Both will have open-world designs with large areas that players are meant to explore, find things in, and have dynamic battles.
Players will play as a new character, and wear clothes that are different depending on the game, which suggests that Winds and Waves will have different looks and maybe even different stories. The reveal also gave an idea of better graphics, and a bigger feel to the areas, the weather, and sailing.
The announcement made these games out to be a way to show what the Nintendo Switch 2 can do, mixing the traditional RPG gameplay with better ways to move around the world, and new Pokémon. More information on battles, the Pokédex, and playing with others is expected in the future.
Starter Pokémon and language options
At the beginning of each game, trainers will be able to pick from three starter Pokémon: Browt, a Grass-type ‘Bean Chick’ with Overgrow; Pombon, a Fire-type ‘Puppy’ with Blaze; and Gecqua, a Water-type ‘Water Gecko’ with Torrent. These starters keep the usual type strengths and weaknesses.
To make the games easier to get into, Brazilian Portuguese will be added as a language you can choose. This will open the games to more people, and shows that the company is now putting more effort into making games for people around the world when they launch on the Nintendo Switch 2.
2026 events and PokémonXP details
San Francisco will be the place for the 2026 Pokémon World Championships, where competitive play will still be very important. As well as the championships, there will be a real-life event called PokémonXP, which will give fans things to do, activities based on themes, and things to take part in.
People can sign up for a list to be told about tickets from April 2nd to April 23rd, and those chosen will get details about tickets later. Tickets for one day are expected to go on sale in early summer, in a way that gives priority to the most involved members of the community.
Other games, the TCG, and old games
A number of other releases were also confirmed, including Pokémon Champions for Nintendo Switch in April 2026, with a mobile version later. This game will connect to Pokémon Home and let creatures moved from Pokémon Legends Z-A take part, with rewards for Pokémon from older games.
Pokémon Pokopia, coming out on March 5, 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, is about players working together to build a town, and up to four players can play. The Pokémon Trading Card Game will also have a worldwide anniversary set in 2026, to mark the milestone, with new cards and products.
Also, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are now available as digital downloads on Switch, and a music player in the style of a Game Boy will have classic game music and sounds for fans and collectors.
Dates and what to expect
Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves will be released around the world in 2027, giving the developers time to make the open-world systems good, and to link them to the Pokémon world that is changing. Fans can expect more and more information to come out, with gameplay shown, and new Pokémon revealed before the release.
With big events planned for 2026, and many games and products on different platforms, the 30th anniversary plans are meant to be both a celebration of the past, and to look to the future. Trainers should keep an eye out for regular updates, as the company shows more gameplay, rules for competitions, and what will be in the games on release day.
