Pokemon Winds and Waves region and map: everything we know so far about the open-world setting

The Pokemon Winds and Waves region has officially been shown off, and while we're still waiting on the name of the region itself, Nintendo has revealed some exciting details about the setting we'll be introduced to for Generation 10.

Below, you'll find a helpful rundown of everything you need to know about the Pokemon Wind and Waves region and map, with all of the details listed, and what we can draw from this information so you get ready to put your trainer hats on and explore the new games.

Everything we know about the new region in Pokemon Winds and Waves

The new region and map in Pokemon Gen 10, Winds and Waves, has the following details revealed about it so far:

• The region will be a sprawling open-world
• It will be made up of windswept islands and a vast ocean of glittering waves
• Pokemon are said to live in harmony with the environment
• Pokemon have created their own ecosystems within the new region
• The "forces of nature" in the region can block your path

The reveal trailer shows off the vast oceans and islands we'll get to explore in Pokemon Winds and Waves' new region, which, as noted above, will draw us into an open-world that looks set to have a sizeable map.

The mention of "the forces of nature" could feed into the different names of the respective versions, with Winds and Waves perhaps suggesting we'll be dealing with wind gusts and waves as we traverse through the open-world landscape. The fact that we see a windmill as a breeze blows by, along with a shot that takes us underwater, certainly seems to hint as much. It could also follow a similar route to the likes of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, where the different versions hone in on the respective sides of nature to present us with slightly different obstacles or challenges.

Many regions in Pokemon's history have been modelled on or inspired by nations, continents and cultures in the real world, such as Galar being inspired by the United Kingdom or Paldea being inspired by nations like Spain and Portugal. These can also influence the kind of Pokemon that you encounter, with designs that stand for indigenous animals appropriate to that area.

While Nintendo has yet to reveal the new region's real-world influence, theories are already doing the rounds following the Pokemon Day steam that Pokemon Winds and Waves is based on South East Asia.

Will there be old regions in Pokemon Winds and Waves?

At time of writing there's no indication that Pokemon Wind and Waves will have returning old regions from previous games (even if we'll likely see some older gen Pokemon pop up in the Pokemon Winds and Waves Pokedex alongside the new Pokemon Winds and Waves starters).

That doesn't mean that it has been ruled out, only that there's no reason to think that it'll happen. Certain instalments in the series have brought back regions from previous generations (such as Gold and Silver bringing back Kanto from Generation 1), but it's pretty rare and far more often the exception to the rule. Still, we'll update this page if we find out otherwise, or if it's officially confirmed that there'll only be one region.

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