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…
Nintendo Indie World 2024: How to watch and what to expect
Hollow Knight Silksong

Nintendo will hold the first indie world presentation of 2024 tomorrow, April 17. The event will shine a spotlight on some of the most exciting independent games coming to the Nintendo Switch in the coming months. Past showcases have revealed highly anticipated indie games like Another Crab's Treasure, as well as long-awaited ports for games like Outer Wilds.

Although this is not a full-fledged Nintendo Direct, it's still a show that fans of independent games will want to tune into. If you're planning on watching the showcase weive, I've rounded up everything you need to know about when to tune in and what to expect from April 2024's Indie World.
When is the April 2024 Indie World Showcase
Nintendo has confirmed that the next Indie World will begin at 7 a.m. PT on April 17. That means it's something most people will be able to tune into first thing in the morning. Nintendo says that the event will run for roughly 20 minutes, which is consistent with past streams.
How to watch the April 2024 Indie World Showcase
Indie World Showcase 4.17.2024 - Nintendo Switch

Read more
Every rumored video game console: Nintendo Switch 2, PS5 Pro and more
A PS5 sits on a table.

History would tell you that 2024 isn't a year where you should expect a lot of new game consoles. We're smack dab in the middle of a console generation and we've already seen the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series S get upgrades during it. A wave of brand new consoles is likely four years away if the precedent set by previous generations holds up.

And yet, we're swimming in hardware rumors these days. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all have rumored systems in the works. On top of that, we're on the verge of an early second generation for portable PCs like the Steam Deck. Companies like Lenovo and Asus are also plotting follow-ups to their own devices. It's a lot to keep track of, with scattered reports sharing rumors about the status of each. To help you stay on top of the news, we've rounded up every major gaming device that's currently in the works. You can expect to see some -- if not all -- of these in the next year.
Nintendo Switch 2

Read more
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