Pokémon Gen 10’s Location Based Off Cyclades According To New Leak

According to the data breach leaks, the newest generation of the massively popular JRPG was codenamed Pokémon Gaia. It will have some relationship and inspiration from the Horizons anime, but it also appears to be following a similar location trajectory as Generation 3’s Hoenn. For fans of the series, Gen 3 is known as a bit of a controversial collection of games. They had many strengths, but one of the biggest flaws was the overwhelming amount of water in the island-based region, and in turn, water-type Pokémon. If leaks are to be believed, though, the game appears to be headed back to the islands.

Well-regarded and informed leaker, Centro LEAKS, posted about the possibility of a water-filled location.

The Cyclades are a group of islands off the coast of Greece. The archipelago is surrounded by bodies of water and smaller islands. This setup is rather similar to Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, whose settings were also predominantly made up of bodies of water, albeit with a large central island. These games actually were so water-focus, it spawned an IGN review that remains a meme to this day.

The criticism was fair, though. Part of what makes some of the best generations of Pokémon so great is the balance of diverse and creative types. A deep Pokédex with plenty of ability for players to strategize and build parties to their personal tastes. The games should also allow multiple different paths to winning. Unfortunately, the dominance of water types in the Hoenn region left the generations’ new entries water-focused and easy to counter. Players were almost forced to play with an electric type in their party that could breeze through most battles.

Game Freak certainly heard the criticism, but the question is whether they learned from it. With the way the Cyclades are laid out in real life, it would be very easy for the Pokémon developer to default right back to excessive amounts of water and surf movement. One thing that Generation 10 has going for them now is a far more diverse collection of types and dual types, which could at least help Game Freak mix and match a bit more despite the island setting.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind, even though Centro LEAKS is a fairly reputable insider, and other leaks have pointed to a similar conclusion, nothing is set in stone until Game Freak officially announces the game and releases more details. With a rumored launch target of 2026, likely later in 2026 if the typical release pattern holds, fans should be finding out more about the upcoming 10th generation soon. Once Pokémon Legends  Z-A is released, it is expected that attention will shift to the reported Switch 2 exclusive Gen 10. Until then, take any rumors with a grain of salt and hope Game Freak has learned from past mistakes.