Pokémon Winds and Waves Massive Leak May Finally Make Series Haters Happy
Leaks claim that Pokémon Winds and Waves, the rumoured tenth-generation games, will be directed by Game Freak veterans Hiroyuki Tani and Katsuhiko Ichiraku rather than long-time series director Shigeru Ohmori. If accurate, the change could signal a more experimental direction for the mainline series, which has faced criticism for technical problems and a reluctance to take risks.
Tani and Ichiraku previously worked on the well-received Sword and Shield and Scarlet and Violet expansions, while leaked 2025 documents suggest Ohmori helped develop an early proposal but was no longer director by 2024. The documents reference No Man’s Sky and Spore, including a rumoured “Seed” Pokémon system shaped by environment and care, alongside claims of 300 new creatures and a new battle system; none has been officially confirmed.
- Leaks suggest new directors for Pokémon’s tenth generation.
- Former DLC leads may bring fresh ideas.
- Rumoured features remain unconfirmed.
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Pokémon is a long-running video game series in which players collect, train and battle fictional creatures. Game Freak develops the main games, with each new generation usually introducing a new setting, characters and Pokémon.
Shigeru Ohmori has directed several recent main Pokémon games, including Pokémon Sword and Shield and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Those games sold strongly but also drew criticism from some players over performance problems and the way their new ideas were implemented.
Hiroyuki Tani and Katsuhiko Ichiraku are experienced Game Freak developers who worked on downloadable expansions for recent titles. Reports about a possible change in directors matter because creative leadership can shape how a new Pokémon generation is designed, though details from leaks remain unconfirmed until announced by the companies involved.