Skip to main content

Pokémon Sword and Shield won’t get new content or updates

With Pokémon Scarlet and Violet coming around the bend, The Pokémon Company has announced that the last mainline games in the series, Pokémon Sword and Shield, will not be supported with new content after November 1.

According to Serebii.net, The Pokémon Company is weaning online content support away from the previous mainline titles with one last update. On November 1, Wild Area News will receive a final update that comes with Pokémon that weren’t normally available, such as Gigantamax Snorlax. Wild Area events are typically held once a month, but after this update, the game won’t receive any more updates.

From the same day onward, the Battle Stadium will no longer update with a ranked season, and results for the Ranked Battle Season will not show up on Pokémon Home. No further official online competitions will be held, however, you can still host play in Friendly Competitions. Results from that competition also won’t appear in Pokémon Home starting December 1. Thankfully, other online functionality will still be active as normal in Pokémon Sword and Shield, such as friendly battles and trading.

The move isn’t too surprising considering that new mainline Pokémon games will launch in November, and will likely receive live support similar to Sword and Shield. The Pokémon Company hasn’t given confirmation on whether results of ranked battle seasons from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will be displayed on Pokémon Home, but it’s likely that they will since they’ll have online support for everything else.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 for Nintendo Switch.

Editors' Recommendations

Cristina Alexander
Cristina Alexander has been writing since 2014, from opining about pop culture on her personal blog in college to reporting…
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Tera Raid guide: basic tips and tricks
Four trainers ready for battle.

The Pokémon franchise has always specialized in family-friendly RPGs first and foremost. The main mechanics and focus of each game, which is to battle, catch, and train Pokémon, is very easy for even new players to grasp. At the same time, those who have been with the series for a long time have enjoyed a steady evolution of more deep and complex mechanics to further push the competitive nature of fighting monsters. For a long time, battling other trainers was the only real way to challenge yourself after beating the game, but Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has added something else for hardcore trainers to test themselves against.

Tera Raids are the toughest challenges in Scarlet and Violet. These encounters against special Pokémon are so challenging that you can't take them on alone. These battles take advantage of the new Terastallized Pokémon, and are ranked in difficulty with a star level. There's a lot more to these than just throwing your strongest Pokémon out there and hoping for the best. Here's a full breakdown on how Tera Raids work, their rewards, and some tips and tricks to come out on top in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Read more
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: How to beat the Elite Four
Poppy holding a pokeball.

The Victory Path story in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet ends in the classic battle to prove you are, in fact, the best of the best. To do this, you will need to beat the infamous Elite Four, just like you have in every prior-generation game. As always, this is a continuous gauntlet of battles against arguably the toughest trainers in the entire Paldea region. If that wasn't difficult enough, there are two more fights after those against the four. You will need a top team at your side and plenty of items. These tips to become the undisputed champion in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will also prove crucial.

Once you've collected all eight Gym Badges, reached the Pokémon League, and correctly answered all the questions in the assessment test, you can begin your path to becoming champion. Thankfully you will have the opportunity to heal and reorganize your team between battles, which will be necessary to counter some of these tough trainers.

Read more
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Titans guide: locations, weaknesses, and more
Klawf on an orange beach.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet haven't abandoned the classic, tried-and-true formula the series was built on. Obviously, the game is still all about catching, battling, and forming your own team of Pokémon to be the very best. However, the main story of the game isn't simply limited to the old idea of going from region to region and facing off against the eight gym leaders to eventually face off against the elite four. Yes, that is still in the game, but it's only one of the main storylines open to you.

One of the other main story paths in Scarlet and Violet is called the Path of Legends. This quest focuses on finding and defeating the intimidating Titan Pokémon with the help of another student named Arven. Each Titan is a unique version of a Pokémon hiding out in a different location that has different types and gives you a great reward. If you're struggling in any way with these massive foes, here's a full guide on all five Titan Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet.

Read more