Ethan Crossfield 
If you’re planning to buy the next mainline Pokemon games, the latest leak suggests you may want to budget for higher prices. The documentation points to The Pokemon Company having long-term plans to raise prices, with “Winds and Waves” potentially being the first step—though the exact number and timing aren’t confirmed.
What the leak says changed
Newly rediscovered internal documentation reportedly indicates The Pokemon Company has wanted to increase the price of Pokemon games since the era of Pokemon Sword and Shield on Nintendo Switch. The reason it allegedly didn’t happen then was tied to market standardization: a higher price hadn’t been standardized in North America, which the documentation frames as a primary market. With that constraint no longer described as applicable, the leak suggests the company could move forward.
The story also points to how the broader pricing environment has shifted. Nintendo’s strategy has reportedly changed since the Switch 2 release, with digital versions priced about $10 lower than physical releases. The source also notes that PlayStation and Xbox appear to be moving away from physical releases, which could influence how pricing is structured across platforms and formats. While it’s not certain how this will affect physical vs. digital pricing for Winds and Waves, the baseline price is described as likely to be higher due to economic factors, even before considering the leak’s additional details.
Who is affected: players buying one or both versions
The documentation reportedly includes two related goals: raising overall game prices and encouraging purchases of both versions of a Pokemon release. That aligns with recent mainline practices that feature double-version releases.
The leak also includes reported sales figures (with the caveat that the source doesn’t provide the full parameters behind the data). According to those numbers, 41% of customers bought both Pokemon Sun and Moon, 50% bought both Ultra Sun and Moon, and 23% bought both Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee. The implication is that the company may be studying how often players commit to both versions when setting pricing and packaging strategy.
Separately, the source frames the broader market context: some major games have been priced at higher tiers recently, and it argues Pokemon’s popularity could make it less risky for The Pokemon Company to adopt similar pricing levels. However, the leak does not provide a confirmed price for Winds and Waves.
What comes next for Pokemon Winds and Waves
The source indicates the documentation dates back roughly to between 2018 and 2020, even though it’s being surfaced again through a more recent Pokemon-related teraleak. Because of that, it’s possible The Pokemon Company’s plans have changed since then.
Even so, the leak’s direction is clear: fans should be prepared for Winds and Waves to potentially cost more than $60 or $70. The exact price is not revealed in the source, and it also suggests that the figure may not be known until months later—potentially extending into 2027. For now, the most actionable takeaway is financial: if you were planning to buy day one, it may be wise to wait for official pricing or set aside a higher budget in case the leak’s expectations match reality.
What players should know
- A resurfaced leak claims The Pokemon Company wanted higher game prices since Sword and Shield, but alleged North American price standardization stopped it at the time.
- The documentation suggests Winds and Waves could be the first release where higher pricing is applied, but the exact cost isn’t provided.
- Nintendo’s reported shift toward cheaper digital pricing than physical may affect how Winds and Waves is priced by format.
- The leak also points to incentives for buying both versions, and it includes version-purchase percentages from past releases.
| Topic | What the source claims |
|---|---|
| Timeframe of the documentation | Reportedly between 2018 and 2020 (rediscovered later) |
| Why prices didn’t rise earlier | A higher price wasn’t standardized in North America, according to the documentation |
| Potential first target | Pokemon Winds and Waves (exact price not stated) |
| Digital vs physical pricing context | Nintendo reportedly prices digital about $10 cheaper than physical since Switch 2; how it applies to Winds and Waves is uncertain |
| When the price may be known | Possibly months later, potentially into 2027 |
Expert View
Leaks about pricing are inherently uncertain—especially when the documentation is dated and may not reflect current intent. Still, the combination of alleged long-running internal plans, a described shift in market standardization, and a broader industry pricing environment makes the risk of higher sticker prices for Winds and Waves credible. The best strategy for players is to treat any budget assumptions as provisional until official pricing is confirmed.
