Leaked internal documents suggest a significant leadership change for the next installment in the Pokémon series, tentatively titled Pokémon Winds and Waves. According to reports from the "Pokémon Winds and Waves" leaker BallGuy, veteran Game Freak developers Hiroyuki Tani and Katsuhiko Ichiraku are slated to direct the tenth generation of games. This would mark their first time leading a mainline title, though both have contributed to previous entries, notably directing well-received DLC for Pokémon Sword and Shield and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
The potential directorial shift comes as Shigeru Ohmori, who has overseen the majority of Pokémon games since 2014, may be stepping down from a lead role. While Ohmori's involvement in the proposal stages of Winds and Waves is reportedly documented in leaked 2025 internal records, he is no longer listed as a director as of 2024. Despite this, the possibility remains that he could still be involved in some capacity.
This change in leadership could signal a move towards more experimental game design. The leaked documents reportedly cite influences such as No Man's Sky and Spore, with a particular focus on Spore's dynamic evolution system. This could translate into "Seed" Pokémon, a rumored new monster type that would not have a fixed evolutionary path. Instead, their development would be influenced by environmental factors, weather, and trainer interaction. This concept might contribute to Winds and Waves potentially introducing 300 new Pokémon, the largest number in the series' history.
Fans have long criticized mainline Pokémon games for a perceived reluctance to take creative risks. However, Game Freak has recently explored new directions with titles like Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which features a departure from the traditional mainline gameplay. If the leaks prove accurate, Tani and Ichiraku's direction could continue this trend of innovation, potentially including a revamped battle system alongside the turn-based foundation.
Previous entries under Ohmori's tenure, like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, were noted for their ambitious scope but also suffered from significant bugs at launch, with performance upgrades only arriving later. The Teal Mask DLC for Scarlet and Violet, however, was praised for its narrative and grounded storytelling, and the Crown Tundra DLC for Sword and Shield was lauded for its exploration focus. The success of these DLCs, considered by some to be superior to their base games, has generated optimism about Tani and Ichiraku's potential to bring fresh perspectives to the main series.