A Game Freak programmer has co-authored new research that could make detailed water simulations less demanding. While the technology has not been confirmed for Pokémon Winds and Waves, its focus on water makes it an interesting discovery ahead of the ocean-themed RPGs.
Game Freak Programmer Co-Authors New Water Simulation Research
Game Freak programmer Fumiya Narita and University of Tokyo professor Takashi Kanai have published a new paper exploring how to simulate water more efficiently. The research was recently presented as part of Pacific Graphics 2026, and builds on their earlier work, which aimed at reducing the calculations needed to recreate moving liquids.
Now, there is quite a bit of technical jargon and information behind how this works. Basically, detailed water movement can take a lot of computing power to simulate in games. Their technique focuses on the areas where that detail matters most, such as ripples forming on the surface, while simplifying the calculations elsewhere.
For gaming, this could lead to more believable waves and splashes that require less processing power to simulate. According to the university’s research overview, the method reduced computational costs while keeping the results visually comparable to the previous technique, especially in scenes with complex surface movement.
Will Pokémon Winds and Waves Use the New Water Technology?
Of course, the Game Freak connection immediately raises an interesting question: could any of this research benefit Pokémon Winds and Waves?
The upcoming Pokémon RPGs feature an open world made up of islands and a vast ocean, making water a major part of their setting. Both games are scheduled to launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027 and focus heavily on water exploration.
However, Game Freak has not confirmed that this technology will appear in Pokémon Winds and Waves. There is also a pretty significant catch. The recent demonstration was not simulated during actual live gameplay, according to a report. So it’s unclear whether the tech could currently be utilized in games.
In other words, this latest demonstration from Game Freak does not automatically mean better frame rates or more realistic oceans in the next Pokémon games. Still, with the ocean playing such a prominent role in Pokémon Winds and Waves, the timing makes this an interesting piece of research to look at. Whether any of it influences the 2027 RPGs is something we will have to wait for Game Freak to reveal.
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