A leaker is claiming that Pokémon Winds and Waves will be directed by Hiroyuki Tani and Katsuhiko Ichiraku, marking a potential handover from Shigeru Ohmori, who has led mainline Pokémon development for roughly a decade.
The claim comes from leaker BallGuy on X, who posted that Tani will serve as director with Ichiraku as co-director for Generation 10. Neither Game Freak nor The Pokémon Company has confirmed anything officially.
Who Tani and Ichiraku actually are
These aren't unfamiliar names if you've followed Pokémon closely. Tani directed the Sword & Shield DLC, specifically the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra expansions, both of which landed well with fans after the base game drew significant criticism. Ichiraku handled the Scarlet & Violet DLC, the Teal Mask and Indigo Disk, which were widely considered improvements over the base game's performance and content issues.
The pattern here is worth noting. Both developers have DLC credits rather than full mainline game credits as directors. That's a different kind of experience, and it's a fair question whether leading a contained expansion translates directly to overseeing an entirely new generation.
Ten years of Ohmori, and what comes next
If the leak holds up, it ends a long chapter. Ohmori has directed every major mainline Pokémon release since Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, including Sun & Moon, Sword & Shield, Scarlet & Violet, and Legends: Z-A. That's a significant stretch of the franchise's modern history, and his tenure has been defined by both genuine highs and some of the most vocal community backlash the series has ever faced.
Here's the thing: Ohmori reportedly isn't gone from Pokémon entirely. BallGuy's claim suggests he's shifted focus to Generation 11 development, though his exact role isn't clear. He's also been attached as a producer on other projects in the franchise, so a transition to a different position fits the pattern.
| Director | Notable Credits |
|---|---|
| Hiroyuki Tani | Sword & Shield DLC (Isle of Armor, Crown Tundra) |
| Katsuhiko Ichiraku | Scarlet & Violet DLC (Teal Mask, Indigo Disk) |
| Shigeru Ohmori | Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby, Sun/Moon, Sword/Shield, Scarlet/Violet, Legends: Z-A |
What this means for Generation 10
Fan reaction to the reported change has been broadly positive, which makes sense given the context. The Scarlet & Violet launch in particular left a lot of players frustrated with performance and content depth, and the idea of fresh creative leads on Generation 10 gives the community something to hold onto.
What most players miss in these director conversations is that Game Freak's structural and technical challenges aren't purely a director problem. Whoever leads Winds & Waves will still be working within the same studio, the same release cadence pressures, and the same resource constraints that shaped previous games. A new director can shift tone and design priorities, but the deeper issues take more than a personnel change to fix.
Still, Tani and Ichiraku's DLC work shows they understand what Pokémon fans actually want from post-launch content, which is a reasonable foundation for a mainline game.
For players already tracking what's known about Generation 10, the Pokémon Winds and Waves guide collection is a good place to keep up as more details surface.
Source: Insider Gaming
