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

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

Gabe Gurwin
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.

Related 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.

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.

Related
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
All cross-platform games (PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
Two squads of heroes clash in an Overwatch 2 trailer.

Cross-platform support is becoming more important in the world of video games. Multiplayer hits like Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite have pushed crossplay into the limelight, and now most AAA multiplayer games release with at least partial cross-platform support. Finding every cross-platform game is no easy feat, though, so we did the hard work to bring you a comprehensive list of games that support crossplay.

Unfortunately, there aren't any rules when it comes to crossplay, so each game handles the feature a little differently. To make matters more confusing, certain backward-compatible games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X still support crossplay on the most recent hardware, even if there isn't an official release for that hardware.

Read more
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC lets players venture outside of Paldea
Key art featuring new characters and Pokémon that are in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Teal Mask.

During a Pokémon Presents showcase to celebrate Pokémon Day, the DLC for Scarlet and Violet was revealed. The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC is titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero and will release in two parts, both planned to launch in 2023.
The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero ✨| Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet
Both pieces of DLC take place outside of the Paldea region and will be accessible once players start the Treasure Hunt in the main game's story. The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Teal Mask, which comes out first, sees players go on a school trip to the Japan-inspired land called Kitakami. While there, players will encounter new Pokémon, such as the monkey-like Munkidori, dog-like Okidogi, bird-like Fezandipti, and the mask-wearing Legendary Pokémon Ogerpon. The Teal Mask comes out this fall.
Then, this winter, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Indigo Disk will arrive and let players transfer to Blueberry Academy, where they will meet lots of new students and teachers. It will continue the story established in The Teal Mask and ultimately culminate in an encounter with another new Legendary Pokémon called Terapagos. Over the course of both DLCs, over 230 older Pokémon will come to Scarlet and Violet, including Chingling, Milotic, Shiftry, Vikavolt, Yanma, Ninetales, Zebstrika, Metagross, Dewgong, Espurr, Whimsicott, and Alcremie.
Additionally, once players preorder The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC by October 31 will get a Hisuian Zoroark that knows the moves Happy Hour, Tera Blast, Bitter Malice, and Nasty Plot and has a Dark Tera Type as a bonus alongside some new outfits. 
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch. The Teal Mask launches sometime during fall 2023, while The Indigo Disk will arrive during winter 2023.

Read more
4 years after its reveal, Pokémon Sleep is finally coming this year
A hand holds a Pokemon Go+ Plus device.

Four years after its original reveal, The Pokémon Company has finally revealed new details on Pokémon Sleep. The mobile sleep tracking app will launch in 2023 on iOS and mobile and be compatible with a new accessory dubbed the Pokémon Go+ Plus.

[UK] Pokémon Presents | 27.2.2023

Read more