Game Freak Responds to Pokémon Sword and Shield Controversy

During the Nintendo E3 Treehouse event, Pokémon Sword and Shield producer Junichi Masuda revealed that not all Pokémon could be transferred to the upcoming games. This information sparked a large amount of backlash from the Pokémon fanbase, with many being concerned that their favourite pocket monsters wouldn’t be able to make the trip to the Galar region.

This unprecedented response has forced Masuda to make a statement on the official Pokémon website to try and reassure fans. Part of the statement reads “Just like all of you, we are passionate about Pokémon and each and every one of them is very important to us. After so many years of developing the Pokémon video games, this was a very difficult decision for me. I'd like to make one thing clear: even if a specific Pokémon is not available in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, that does not mean it will not appear in future games.”

The current number of overall Pokémon that’ll appear in the Galar region is unknown, but it should be noted that the amount could still be large enough to accommodate the need for variety in team building.

Pokémon Sword and Shield are releasing on 15th November 2019 exclusively for Nintendo Switch.