Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield coming to Nintendo Switch in late 2019

By
Forge a Path to Greatness in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield! ⚔

During its Pokémon Direct presentation on February 27, Nintendo and Game Freak officially announced the two Pokémon role-playing games coming to Nintendo Switch. Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are on the way, and they look to combine deeper mechanics with the gorgeous art style of Let’s Go.

Recommended Videos

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are set in the all-new Galar region. It’s a varied area with green environments in the southern and center parts of the map, and snowy mountains in the north. During the presentation, the developers said the region is industrialized with help from humans and Pokémon alike, working together in harmony. Unlike the previous games Sun and Moon, there will be classic gyms in Sword and Shield, and you’ll be working toward becoming a Pokémon Champion.

Related

The three starters for the games have also been revealed. The fire starter is “Scorbunny,” a chipper little creature that seems deceptively dangerous. The grass Pokémon starter is “Grookey,” who Game Freak described as a “green chimp,” and the water starter is “Sobble.” Sobble is shy and prefers to hide from enemies underwater, so it might not be the best choice for battle! That being said, evolutions can drastically alter Pokémon in both appearance and abilities, so maybe Sobble will be more fearsome after a few levels and a little battle experience.

POKÉMON Detective Pikachu - Official Trailer 2

Pokémon will be captured the old-fashioned way in Sword and Shield, with random battles replacing the visible monsters seen in Let’s Go. Trainer battles and fights against wild Pokémon are still included, and Game Freak said it aims to make the game good for both veteran players and those who are completely new to the Pokémon series.

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are planned for a simultaneous worldwide release for Nintendo Switch in late 2019. The Pokémon Company is also working on other content in the future, but it didn’t specify exactly what that would entail during the presentation. Before the game’s launch, you’ll be able to see the new film Pokémon: Detective Pikachu in theaters. A blend of live-action footage with CG monsters, it stars Ryan Reynolds in the title role and just received a new trailer.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
World of Goo 2 might just be the Nintendo Switch’s next must-own co-op game
A built structure in World of Goo 2.

When I sat down to demo World of Goo 2 at this year’s GDC, I noted to the developers on hand how surprising it was to see a sequel after so long. “It’s been, what? Ten years?” I said. I was very far off the mark: They noted that the original World of Goo launched in 2008. After playing a few levels (and having an existential crisis over time’s rapid passing), I’d find myself wondering how such an obvious slam dunk didn’t come sooner.

Like its predecessor, World of Goo 2 is a physics-based puzzle game where players craft structures from little, gooey critters. It presents a series of engineering challenges, as poorly built structures will topple under the weight of all those jiggly little pals. Rather than reinventing that concept entirely, World of Goo 2 adds some wild new ideas onto that stable structure that opens up its puzzle potential. The result is a chaotic co-op game that’s a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch.

Read more
How to transfer data from Nintendo Switch to Switch OLED
Pokémon on Nintendo Switch OLED.

If you've picked up a new Nintendo Switch OLED, you already know that it's a substantial upgrade from the previous iterations of the console. What you may not know, however, is how to transfer your data from your old Switch to your new Switch OLED.

Unfortunately, the transfer process isn't as straightforward as you might expect, so it can be confusing to get things going. However, we've got all the details on how to migrate your user data from one Switch to another, even if you don't have access to your previous system and best Switch games. Here's how to transfer your data from your Switch to the Switch OLED.
How to transfer data from Switch to Switch OLED
Step 1

Read more
It’s time to revisit Pokémon X and Y before it’s too late
Key art for Pokémon X and Y.

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to revisit Pokémon X and Y, the announcement of Pokémon Legends: Z-A just gifted you a perfect excuse to do so.

Released for Nintendo 3DS in 2013, Pokémon X and Y are important but quiet entries in the RPG series. They were forward-looking games that brought the series into full 3D and took significant steps in making Pokémon even more approachable and easy to play online. A lot of problems more hardcore fans have, like the games being too casual-focused or having a bevy of technical issues, also got their start here. That makes Pokémon X and Y fascinating games to revisit -- and I recommend you do so soon.

Read more