Pokémon Winds and Waves: new directors and their impact on gameplay
Intelligence Summary
- Discover the leadership changes behind Pokémon Winds and Waves and what they could mean for the franchise's future.
In short
- Shigeru Ohmori, who has served as the main director of the Pokémon series for the past ten years, is not involved with Pokémon Winds and Waves.
- The new directors, Hiroyuki Tani and Katsuhiko Ichiraku, previously worked on well-received DLC for Pokémon Sword and Shield and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
- This leadership change could signal a new direction for the franchise, giving fans hope for more innovative gameplay.
GAME-scanner analysis
Recent rumors about Pokémon Winds and Waves point to a major shift in the franchise's creative leadership. Shigeru Ohmori, who has overseen the mainline series since Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, is no longer listed as director. Instead, Hiroyuki Tani and Katsuhiko Ichiraku are set to take the lead. Both directors have already shown they can deliver quality content, as reflected in the positive reception of their previous work. This could bring a fresh breeze to the franchise, potentially leading to new gameplay elements and stories that exceed fan expectations.
What does this mean for players?
For players, this leadership change could mean fresh ideas and a different approach to gameplay. Tani and Ichiraku's previous DLC work showed they can expand the world of Pokémon with interesting and immersive content. That could improve the overall experience in Pokémon Winds and Waves and increase player engagement.
Timeline
2026-08-11: Important dates for Pokémon GO Community Days.
2026-08-10: Delay of LEGO Pokémon sets.
2027: Expected release of Pokémon Winds and Waves on Nintendo Switch 2.
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Sources
Tweet van @CentroLeaksTweet van @CentroLeaksAccording to leak and rumor aggregator account Centro Leaks on Twitter , Shigeru Ohmori, who served as the director for the mainline Pokemon series for the past 10 years, is not directing Pokemon Winds and Waves . Instead, the Gen 10 games will allegedly be co-directed by Hiroyuki Tani and Katsuhiko Ichiraku, who directed the DLC for Pokemon Sword and Shield and the DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet , respectively. Both of these DLCs were well received by fans, so this change in leadership coul