Thirty years ago, Nintendo published the very first Pokémon games — “Pokémon Red” and “Pokémon Green” — in Japan. For Pokémon Day 2026 on Feb. 27, the annual celebration of the beloved pocket monster franchise, Nintendo had some special announcements for fans.
The tenth generation of Pokémon
Nintendo officially revealed the next mainline generation of Pokémon games: “Pokémon Winds” and “Pokémon Waves.” These are the first titles in the tenth generation and will be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 console in 2027.
Looking at the trailers, the setting for these games appears to be a tropical, island-rich region with underwater areas. Fans will see some similarities to the seventh generation of the Pokémon franchise, “Pokémon Sun” and “Pokémon Moon,” which were set in the Alola region, inspired by Hawaii.
Nintendo also showed first looks at the new starter Pokémon for Wind and Waves, the first three Pokémon you have to choose between at the start of every game. This time around, it seems that Nintendo chose to go all-in on making the starters as adorable as humanly possible.
Brow, the bean chick Pokémon and grass-type starter, is a cute green bird with leaves on its brow and a clumsy personality. Pombon, the puppy pokémon and fire-type starter, is an innocent and friendly orange dog.
Finally, Gecqua, the water gecko Pokémon and water-type starter, is an intelligent, shrewd blue gecko with a wide head and large eyes.
More information about the new games is likely to come out in the coming months in preparation for the 2027 release window.
Relaunch of classics and upcoming launch of a new game
In honor of its 30th anniversary, “Pokémon FireRed” and “Pokémon LeafGreen,” the 2004 remakes of the original 1996 games, are now released digitally on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. These are enhanced versions of the originals with modern features.
With “Pokémon Pokopia” releasing on Mar. 5, Nintendo also gave fans another look at the upcoming game. Pokopia is a life-simulation and sandbox game from developers Game Freak and Omega Force. The game was first announced in last year’s Nintendo Direct and will likely cost around $70 at launch.
In Pokopia, you play as the shape-shifting Pokémon Ditto that has transformed into a human-like character. The world you find yourself in starts empty and abandoned, and your goal is to build it up into a thriving home to attract Pokémon and maybe even humans.
The game combines elements of other beloved sandbox games like “Animal Crossing,” “Stardew Valley” and “Minecraft,” but with Pokémon twists. You can build and craft like in those games, but you can also befriend other Pokémon and learn from them to interact with the environment.
The game runs in real time, with a day-night cycle and changing weather that affect gameplay and your surroundings.
Pokémon naturally come into the world you’re building as you progress. The focus is more on community, creativity and peaceful exploration than on traditional Pokémon battling, making it ideal for players who enjoy creative sandbox games.