The excitement surrounding the announcement of Pokemon Winds and Waves during the Pokemon Day celebrations has created a new opportunity for the fan base to begin speculating on what the 10th generation of games will hold. With a 2027 release window for Pokemon Winds and Waves still a ways off, details beyond things like the new starters are scarce. However, it’s not too early to start considering how Pokemon Winds and Waves will extend Gen 10 with DLC, since the perfect expansion themes and titles may already be clear.
For the past 2 generations, Pokemon has opted to release post-launch DLC expansions rather than third, definitive versions of the generation’s headlining games. Pokemon Winds and Waves will likely continue this pattern, and a pair of DLC expansions seems inevitable after the games are released in 2027. While this DLC is likely still at least a few years away, the titles for these expansions already seem obvious based on the patterns present in past generations.
Pokemon Winds and Waves’ Starters Already Have a Clear Winner
There is a clear candidate for best starter in Pokemon Winds and Waves emerging, even before details about gameplay have been officially revealed.
Pokemon Winds and Waves Already Have a Clear Direction for Future DLC
Traditionally, the Pokemon series has featured a third, definitive edition of each generation of games, dating back to Pokemon Yellow in Gen 1. However, Gen 5 broke this mold by releasing Black 2 and White 2 as direct sequels rather than third, enhanced versions. Pokemon Gen 8 again changed things up by releasing DLC for Sword and Shield, and this pattern has maintained through Gen 9 as well.
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Past DLC Titles for Pokemon Games
- Pokemon Sword and Shield — The Isle of Armor/The Crown Tundra
- Pokemon Scarlet and Violet — The Teal Mask/The Indigo Disk
- Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Mega Dimension
Aside from Pokemon Legends: Z-A, which can be disregarded since it’s not the debut game of a new Pokemon generation, each of the DLC expansions for the past 2 gens have mirrored the base games’ titles with their own. For example, Pokemon Sword and Shield‘s medieval weaponry-themed titles were followed by The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, keeping that same armament theme. Scarlet and Violet‘s color-themed titles were followed by The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk, suggesting that Pokemon Winds and Waves will include DLC named after other environments or weather phenomena.
Pokemon Winds and Waves’ DLC Will Likely Reference Environments or Elemental Biomes
With Pokemon Winds and Waves titles referencing the sea and sky biomes, it would make sense for their future DLC to follow a similar naming convention. Going the Avatar: The Last Airbender route and having an Earth and Fire-themed pair of expansions would make the most sense. Given that Pokemon Winds and Waves‘ reveal trailer has already shown a magma cavern biome, it’s not too unrealistic to expect an expanded volcanic or desert-themed island to be the main setting of the games’ future DLC.
The Pokemon franchise is prone to being unpredictable, so it’s entirely possible that Winds and Waves break the pattern that the last two generations have followed.
Pokemon Winds and Waves’ Emphasis on Weather Could Also Inspire Future DLC
The other potential option for Pokemon Winds and Waves‘ DLC names could come from the games’ apparent focus on weather. Weather Moves and “Majin” battles are leaked to be the new generational battle gimmick for Winds and Waves, suggesting that weather will be the broader theme of the games. While the titles “Winds” and “Waves” themselves could be interpreted as either weather-based or environmental-based, a pair of DLC expansions that cover both options, such as “Sands” and “Ashes,” would make sense as well. These DLCs could be themed around land and flames, respectively, while still carrying weather connotations, such as a sandstorm or ashfall after a volcanic eruption.
- Released
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2027
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
