Japan lists new Pokémon as most wanted
A recent ranking put Pokémon Viento y Oleaje for Switch 2 at the top of Japanese fans’ most-wanted list, even ahead of GTA 6, with a reported 2027 release window mentioned in coverage (hobbyconsolas.com). The placement signals strong local anticipation for a first‑party Switch 2 franchise entry as fans compare it to major open-world titles (hobbyconsolas.com).
Japanese players have pushed Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves to No. 1 on Famitsu’s most-wanted chart, ahead of Grand Theft Auto VI. (hobbyconsolas.com) Hobby Consolas, citing Famitsu vote totals shared on April 13, reported 557 votes for Winds and Waves and 207 for Grand Theft Auto VI. The same list put Pragmata second with 551 votes and Persona 4 Revival third with 408. (hobbyconsolas.com) The Pokémon Company announced Winds and Waves on February 27 during Pokémon Presents 2026. The company said the games are new role-playing entries for Nintendo Switch 2 with a simultaneous worldwide launch in 2027. (pokemon.com) Official game materials describe an open world built around island exploration and ocean travel. The reveal also introduced the three first partner Pokémon and said the games are exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2. (pokemon.com) (windswaves.pokemon.com) The ranking lands as Nintendo is turning Switch 2 from a reveal into a retail product. Nintendo said the console launches on June 5 in the United States at $449.99. (nintendo.com) That timing helps explain why a first-party Pokémon game is drawing so much attention in Japan. Famitsu’s published coverage of the February reveal framed Winds and Waves as a brand-new mainline series entry for Switch 2 rather than a remake, spinoff, or update. (famitsu.com) Famitsu’s report on the announcement also said the game’s setting centers on “beautiful islands” and a “vast ocean,” with players working with Pokémon to overcome terrain and natural obstacles. That puts the project in the same broad open-world direction Pokémon has been leaning toward in recent years. (famitsu.com) (windswaves.pokemon.com) The comparison with Grand Theft Auto VI says as much about the Japanese market as it does about Pokémon. In the top 10 cited by Hobby Consolas, Nintendo-published games took five spots, including Tomodachi Life, Splatoon Raiders, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. (hobbyconsolas.com) For now, the official facts are still narrow: a 2027 release window, a Switch 2 exclusive, and an open-world adventure across islands and sea. Even with that limited detail, Japanese voters have already put Pokémon at the top of the queue. (pokemon.com) (windswaves.pokemon.com)
