2025 marks a big year for the Pokemon franchise, with the mobile game Pokemon TCG Pocket reaching huge sales milestones, Pokemon VGC tournaments becoming bigger than ever, and Pokemon Legends: Z-A launching in October. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s upgrade for Nintendo Switch 2 also didn’t go unnoticed, as the game is now playable at 60 FPS, and catching shiny critters is easier than ever, thanks to how many of them appear on the screen compared to the regular Switch version. And yet, this is also a sad year for those who wanted Pokemon Gen 10 games to be announced, let alone to be released.
As much as Pokemon Legends: Z-A is filling the gap for the usual three-year cycle of mainline Pokemon games introducing new regions and creatures, Pokemon Gen 10 will likely be a massive hit whenever it comes out. Considering that many fans expected it to launch this year, it would be plausible for The Pokemon Company to release Pokemon Gen 10 games a bit sooner than the usual window in 2026, but that may not be a good idea for a few key reasons, starting with the availability of the new Nintendo Switch 2.
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What Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Release Window Could Mean For Generation 10
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s newly-announced release window could have some interesting implications for the next generation of Pokemon games.
Nintendo Switch 2’s Scarce Availability is an Issue For Pokemon Gen 10
Based on reports from analysts, the Nintendo Switch 2 may not be consistently available until spring 2026, which seems a fair prediction when considering the scarcity of the console at launch, both in the Japanese and international markets. Nintendo reportedly didn’t believe the demand would be so high, and a lot of fans have yet to get the chance to buy their own console, as scalpers and third-party sellers have almost doubled the price, and official channels like the Nintendo store do not have a large supply.
Why Pokemon Gen 10 Releasing in Early 2026 Would be a Big Problem
This could be a major issue if The Pokemon Company decided to release Pokemon Gen 10 games a bit earlier, and there’s reason to believe it could happen. There are a couple of reasons for this:
- Mainline Pokemon games typically come out every three years, and this development cycle was broken this year with Gen 10 not being announced (and thus being a 2026 release). For this reason, The Pokemon Company may want to release Pokemon Gen 10 before the usual November window.
- 2026 will mark the 30th anniversary of Pokemon games as a whole, so it would make sense to release Gen 10 earlier in the year. Doing so on the 30th anniversary, in February, would also be nice, but it’s highly unlikely.
However, Pokemon Gen 10 leaks state that the game is allegedly built for Nintendo Switch 2 exclusively, and even if that is not the case, Pokemon Legends: Z-A proves that it would run much better on the new hardware compared to the original Switch. If Gen 10 is a Switch 2 exclusive, releasing it before everyone has a chance to even get the console would be problematic and controversial.
If Gen 10 is not a Switch 2 exclusive, but still launches sometime in early 2026, it could run into the same problems as Gen 9. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s launch performance issues marred the games for months on end, to the point that most mixed or negative reviews of the games were due to how unplayable they could be on the Switch. Assuming that Gen 10 has a similar scope to Gen 9, launching it early in 2026 for both Switch and Switch 2 would force a lot of fans to play it on the original console, exacerbating potential performance issues.
What follows is that the Nintendo Switch 2’s availability should dictate the release window for Pokemon Gen 10 more than other factors, as it would be better for fans to at least have a chance to buy the console before the next big Pokemon release happens, especially if it’s an exclusive. Considering that Pokemon Legends: Z-A may get post-launch support, though, Gen 10 may still be slated for a November release as usual, but it remains to be seen for now.