What if Generation 10 had almost made it under the Christmas tree this year? According to the specialist account Centro Leaks, Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves were originally meant to release in November 2026. The delay to 2027 was reportedly decided in a rush, in January, just a few weeks before the games were officially announced.
Unofficial information. This article reports a leak published by a specialist account. Neither The Pokémon Company, Nintendo nor Game Freak have confirmed or denied it to date.
What the leak says
On November 6, 2026, Centro Leaks posted a series of claims on X about what went on behind the scenes of Generation 10, which several specialist outlets have since picked up. According to this account:
- Pokémon Winds and Waves were planned for November 2026, the usual slot for the series’ major entries;
- the decision to push their release back to November 2027 was allegedly made “at the very last minute”, in January 2026, because the games were not ready;
- this change of schedule reportedly caused major planning problems across all of The Pokémon Company’s projects.
Also according to information relayed by several outlets, the animated series was the hardest hit. Pokémon Horizons: The Series was supposedly meant to end to make way for Generation 10; it would instead be extended with an arc dedicated to the new region, with a break of several months in 2027 to line up with the games’ new release date. A brand-new animated series would not be expected before 2029.
None of this information has been confirmed. Centro Leaks regularly shares leaks about the Pokémon world, with a mixed track record depending on the topic, so it should be taken with caution.
What is official
On the official side, nothing has changed since the Pokémon Presents of February 27, 2026, broadcast for the franchise’s 30th anniversary:
- Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves will release in 2027, with no more precise date so far;
- the games are Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives;
- the release will be simultaneous worldwide, France included;
- Nintendo’s official product pages still say “2027”.
The Pokémon Company has never mentioned a 2026 release or a delay. From the players’ point of view, the announced date has therefore not changed: the game was presented as a 2027 title from the start.
A plausible scenario given the calendar
While it is no confirmation, the leak fits the series’ habits. Pokémon X and Y, Sun and Moon, Sword and Shield and Scarlet and Violet were all announced early in the year, often around Pokémon Day on February 27, then released in November of the same year, roughly nine months later. An announcement on February 27, 2026 followed by a release in November 2026 would therefore have matched this pattern exactly. Our feature on the Pokémon Winds and Waves release date compares these timelines game by game.
Conversely, a delay decided in January would explain why the February presentation only gave a year, not a date. There is a precedent: Pokémon Legends: Z-A was also announced very early, in February 2024, for an October 2025 release.
Key takeaways
According to an unconfirmed leak, Pokémon Winds and Waves should have released in November 2026 before a delay decided in January, with repercussions all the way to the animated series. Officially, nothing changes: the games are expected in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, and the exact date is yet to be announced. If tradition holds, it could be revealed in spring or early summer. Until then, our guide Getting ready for Pokémon Winds and Waves separates fact from fiction.
Source: Nintendo (official information); Centro Leaks on X (unconfirmed leak)
