Pokémon Sword and Shield News
May2020
Guide Pokémon Sword And Shield - How To Get A Foreign Language Ditto
And how to tell if yours is foreign
Ditto is perhaps the most important Pokémon to have on your team if you're hoping to catch 'em all and get as many Shiny Pokémon as possible. In Pokémon Sword and Shield, using a foreign language Ditto is a great way to improve your chances of hatching a Shiny Pokémon, actually providing you with the best odds...
Guide How To Make Pokémon Sword And Shield More Difficult (And Fun)
Not only Nuzlocke, but also...
Pokémon Sword and Shield are great games in our eyes – and in the eyes of many others – but there’s no hiding from the fact that the level of difficulty is, shall we say, a little on the accessible side. That’s great if you’re just looking to have a fun adventure, but for some people, a little strife can...
Justice is served
Last month, we ran a story about a new exploit ruining competitive play in Pokémon Sword and Shield on the Nintendo Switch. It became such a "well-known bug" one video on Twitter demonstrating this nasty trick was viewed more than 50,000 times before it was removed. The Pokémon Company caught onto this a week later and
News Pokémon Sword And Shield's Rebel Clash TCG Expansion Launches Today
Collect 'em all
Today sees the launch of a brand new expansion in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, with Sword & Shield - Rebel Clash now available around the world. Available in the usual booster packs, theme decks, Elite Trainer Boxes and special collections, the new expansion includes more Galarian Pokémon as well as new Pokémon VMAX cards...
April2020
News The Pokémon Company Apologises For Featuring Dewgong In The Fourth Episode Of Twilight Wings
As it's not available in Sword and Shield
Earlier in the week, The Pokémon Company aired the fourth episode of its online anime series, Pokémon: Twilight Wings. It's been created to help promote Pokémon Sword and Shield on the Nintendo Switch. The latest ep starred the Water-type Gym Leader, Nessa, and as beautifully-told, as the story was, fans...
Japanese Charts Animal Crossing: New Horizons Overtakes Pokémon Sword And Shield's Lifetime Sales
And it only took a single month
Sometimes you just have the perfect image waiting to be used in your database. Today's one of those days. Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for 13th - 19th April, revealing that Animal Crossing: New Horizons once again dominated weekly sales. The game shifted an estimated 286,586 copies in Japan last week,...
Video Pokémon: Twilight Wings Episode 4 Is Now Live
Featuring Gym Leader Nessa
The fourth episode of the online exclusive Pokémon: Twilight Wings anime is now available to watch on YouTube. You can view it for free above. This latest episode stars Pokémon Sword and Shield's Water-type Gym Leader, Nessa, and is titled 'Early-Evening Waves'. Here's the episode description: Reintro
News Pokémon Sword And Shield Wins Famitsu Dengeki 2019 Game Of The Year
And takes out best role-playing game award
Pokémon Sword and Shield has taken out the game of the year award and best role-playing game of 2019 during a livestream award ceremony held by Famitsu and Dengeki. Apart from this, Nintendo's exercise game Ring Fit Adventure tied with Square Enix's mobile title Dragon Quest Walk for the Special Award,...
News Pokémon Sword And Shield Is Running A Special Max Raid Battle Event This Easter
Gotta hatch 'em all
From now until 16th April, Pokémon Sword and Shield is hosting a special max raid battle event themed around Easter. It'll be focused on egg exclusive Pokémon, and will seemingly include pocket monsters such as Togepi, Cleffa, Riolu, and Pichu. There's no additional information just yet, but with any luck, all of the...
News New Sword And Shield Mythical Pokémon Zarude Will Learn A Brand New Move At Level 90
And it looks pretty epic
The Pokémon Company has teased a new piece of information for the upcoming mythical creature, Zarude. The Pokémon, which still isn't available to obtain in Pokémon Sword and Shield on Switch, will learn a brand new move called 'Jungle Healing' when it reaches Level 90. The move recovers HP and status conditions of Zarude...
Laying down the law
Last week, news surfaced about an exploit in Pokémon Sword and Shield on Nintendo Switch, which allowed players to disconnect from competitive matches right before their opponent could take out the victory. This also stopped players from losing or gaining points. It seems The Pokémon Company has now confirmed all of this and...
News Pokémon Community Bands Together For Weekly Online Sword And Shield Event
And you can get involved, too
Having to stay indoors presents a number of challenges, not least having to deal with an increasing feeling of loneliness as you find yourself staring at the same four walls. Sure, the gamer stereotype suggests we're all pretty well equipped for staying inside all day, but in reality it's understandable to be struggling...
News There's A New Exploit In Pokémon Sword And Shield That's Ruining Competitive Play
Players now calling out for a fix
If you've played a video game online before, you might have been in the situation where a player has decided to disconnect right before you can take out the victory. Sometimes, it can even deny you of points. At the moment, in Pokémon Sword and Shield, this exact type of issue is impacting the game's online...
March2020
News Nintendo's Servers Haven't Been Hacked, It Was All An April Fool's Joke
Another fake identified
Update: Like the Flipnote Studio rumour, this one also appears to be an elaborate fake. You can listen to the eight fan-created tracks on Video Game Music Resources (the YouTube channel behind the joke). On the plus side, it means Nintendo's internal development servers haven't been breached. Phew! Original Story [Wed 1st...
News Nintendo Shares Colourful New Graphic Of The Games Showcased In This Week's Mini Direct
Something for everyone
This week, Nintendo shadow-dropped a Mini Direct presentation. In it, the company confirmed some release dates, revealed some brand new games and rolled out updates for existing ones. There were a few other goodies like a game demo for Bravely Default II and the confirmation an ARMS character was coming to
News Fresh Pokémon Sword And Shield Expansion Pass Details Revealed In New Trailer
Gigantamax starters, Kubfu, new costumes
A brand new trailer for the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass has arrived, giving us a good look at more of the exciting things in store this summer. The trailer kicks things off with a look at Gigantamax versions of your Sword and Shield starter Pokémon's final evolutions, Rillaboom,...
News Pokémon Sword And Shield's Latest Event Rotates Some Version Exclusives
Fossil rewards, too
A brand new Wild Area event in Pokémon Sword and Shield has begun and this time, players have the chance to catch creatures usually exclusive to the opposite version of the game. Running until March 25th at 23:59 UTC, the 'Pokédex Completion Event' sees these usually-unobtainable Pokémon appearing in Max Raid Battles. Some...
News Pokémon Sword And Shield Version 1.1.1 Is Now Live, Pokémon Home Also Updated
Gotta update 'em all
It's been a while since we've heard much about Pokémon Sword and Shield. In fact, the last major news about it was the reveal of the new mythical monkey Zarude, and before this in January, we found out about the Expansion Pass coming to the game, and the launch of
News Pokémon: Twilight Wings Episode Three Is Now Live, And It Stars Wooloo
Watch it online for free
The third episode of the Pokémon: Twilight Wings anime has now gone live. You can watch it for yourself above. This episode stars the fan-favourite Wooloo and continues the story laid out in the first two episodes. If you need to catch up on those first, you can find them available for free right here:
Gallery Here Are Some New Screenshots Of Zarude In Pokémon Sword And Shield
And that pink Shiny Celebi
At the end of February, The Pokémon Company unveiled the new 'Rogue Monkey Pokémon' Zarude. It'll be appearing alongside a pink Shiny Celebi in the upcoming film Pokémon the Movie: Coco and the Switch titles, Pokémon Sword and Shield. As revealed
News Pre-Booking Tickets For Pokémon The Movie: Coco In Japan Will Get You 2 Mythical Pokémon
Sword and Shield codes for Japanese moviegoers
We've already been introduced to the 'Rogue Monkey Pokémon' Zarude in the trailer for the upcoming Pokémon movie and it seems that Japanese movie fans who pre-book tickets for the Pokémon the Movie: Coco will be able to get their hands on the beast, in addition to an old favourite. The movie is set...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 7th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Yet another week has flown by, with several interesting tidbits from a Shigeru Miyamoto interview appearing online and even news of an upcoming
Guide Pokémon Sword And Shield: Pokédex Galar Region
The full Gen 8 Galar Region Pokédex from Pokémon Sword and Shield
Pokémon Sword and Shield brought Gen 8 to Switch last November and to celebrate we created the sparkling Gen 8 Pokémon database below. It features the full Galar Pokédex, including the 81 new Gen 8 Pokémon and all returning Pokémon. Use the tool below to find out about the new...
News 2020 Pokémon Europe International Championships Are The Latest Coronavirus Victim
Safety is "top priority"
We've already seen several gaming events cancelled, postponed, or otherwise affected by the coronavirus outbreak, and today sees a familiar fate for the 2020 Pokémon Europe International Championships. In a statement issued today
Japanese Charts Pokémon Sword And Shield Return To The Top, Switch Sales Still Suffering
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection takes sixth
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for 24th February - 1st March, revealing that Pokémon Sword and Shield have returned to the top of the pile. The two games shifted an estimated 24,886 units between them this week, overtaking last week's number one, Persona 5 Scramble. Mega Man Zero/ZX...
February2020
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 29th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
In celebration of Pokémon Day, this week we got quite a lot of pocket monster news. One of the highlights was the reveal of the new mythical Grass/Dark-type Pokémon Zarude. Greninja was announced as Google's Pokémon of the Year, and Mewtwo is also
News The Monkey-Like Zarude Is The New Mythical Pokémon In Sword And Shield
Update: The news finally breaks
Update: (Thu 27th Feb, 2020 14:15 GMT): The new mythical Pokémon has been revealed to be Zarude, a Dark and Grass-type monster. You can see it in action in the trailer below. Here's some official info: Zarude is a Dark- and Grass-type Pokémon that can grow vines from the back of its neck, its wrists, and the...
Only a few say they won't
One of the more memorable segments of last month's Pokémon Direct was the reveal of a mighty expansion pass for the latest entries, Pokémon Sword and Shield. Rather than a third entry or 'Ultra' version, this two-part DLC add-on will allow players to continue to their adventure within the Galar Region and uses the same...
News Mewtwo And The Kanto Starters Are Now Appearing In Pokémon Sword And Shield Max Raid Battles
Celebrating Pokémon Day 2020
To celebrate this year's Pokémon Day, from now until the 2nd March, Mewtwo and the Kanto region starters will be appearing in Max Raid Battles in Pokémon Sword and Shield. Gigantamax Grimmsnarl, Kingler, Hatterene, Orbeetle and Toxtricity will also show up from time to time. As exciting as this may sound,...
Video Watch The Adorable Moment 7-Year-Old Simone Lim Became A Pokémon Junior Champion
With a dramatic clutch read
This weekend saw the 2020 Pokémon Oceania International Championship Finals take place Melbourne, Australia, with supremely skilled trainers taking to the stage to compete for Poké-glory. One of the standout stories from the event was the final match of the Junior division, which you're about to see for yourself...
News More Pokémon Sword And Shield Trading Cards Are Coming With New 'Rebel Clash' Expansion
Including Toxtricity VMAX
The Pokémon Company has today revealed the second expansion of Pokémon Sword and Shield trading cards. The new set will be called 'Rebel Clash'. Dozens of recently discovered Pokémon from the Galar region will appear in the new set, which is due to release around the world on 1st May. The first set, simply called...
News Take Part In Pokémon Sword And Shield's February Challenge To Get A Ball Guy T-Shirt
Registration now open!
Registrations for Pokémon Sword and Shield's 2020 International Challenge February competition are now open, and fans of the one and only Ball Guy will definitely want to take part. This online competition will have Trainers from all around the world battling it out with the same ruleset as the official 2020 Pokémon Video...
News Episode Two Of Pokémon: Twilight Wings Is Now Available To Watch Online
Update: English version now live
Update: As promised, we've updated this article with the English version which is now live. Make sure to give it a watch above. The second episode of the Pokémon: Twilight Wings online 'capsule' series has now gone live. Set in the Galar region and directed by Shingo Yamashita, the self-contained series focuses...
News CoroCoro Reveals The Silhouette Of The Brand New Mythical Pokémon
Update: The Pokémon Company shares a clearer image
Update - Sat 15th Feb, 2020 11:00 GMT: Following on from yesterday's silhouette reveal, The Pokémon Company has now shared a much clearer image on Twitter. Keep in mind, the full reveal of this new 'mon will take place later this month on 27th February. @Pokemon - New Pokémon Discovered?!...
Poll After 24 Hours, How Are You Getting On With Pokémon HOME?
Great Oak or below-par Bonsly
It's been 24-ish hours since The Pokémon Company's latest Pokémon storage app Pokémon HOME launched and Poké Trainers all over the world have been digging in and experimenting with the new solution to all your Pocket Monster trade and storage needs. The software comes in the form of a pair of companion apps across...
News You Can Now Get Another 35 Pokémon In Sword And Shield
Thanks to the launch of Home
With the launch of Pokémon Home on Nintendo Switch and mobile, 35 additional monsters can now be transferred over to Pokémon Sword and Shield. While the games' Galar Pokédex is limited to just 400 of the full roster, more Pokémon can now be used in-game just like any other. You can find a full list below (thanks,...
News Nintendo And The Pokémon Company Release Joint Statement On Sword And Shield Leaker
Update: Offending site responds
Update: The offending website has also issued its own statement. We've shared that below our original article. Original Article (Tue 11th Feb, 2020 09:45 GMT): Building up to the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield last year, certain elements of the game including Pokémon which hadn't yet been revealed were leaked...
News Pokémon Trading Card Game's Sword And Shield Series Launches Today
A new era begins!
Today sees the launch of the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield. As you can probably guess, the new set of cards brings the world of Pokémon Sword and Shield to the TCG for the first time, with lots of familiar faces from your recent journey in Galar being present. The expansion also...
News Gigantamax Toxtricity Revealed For Pokémon Sword And Shield
And you can get one this week
One of Pokémon Sword and Shield's coolest new monsters is about to receive its very own Gigantamax form, and you'll be able to get your hands on one very soon indeed. We're talking, of course, about Toxtricity. The new form for the Electric and Poison-type monster has been revealed in the video above - you can see it...
Feature Best Pokémon Starters From All Gens, As Voted By You
You voted, we counted
At the end of last year we asked you to pick your favourite Fire-, Grass- and Water-type starter Pokémon from across the Pokémon series to discover y
Guide Pokémon Sword And Shield Easter Eggs - Things You Might Have Missed
It's the little things
Both Pokémon Sword and Shield feature a rich world full of things to see and do, and it's easy to miss little things as you wander around the Galar region catching Pokémon, seeing the sights and generally enjoying yourself in Sword and Shield. Below we've rounded up a few of the smaller Easter Eggs, moments or features that...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 1st)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
We've had a super-busy week full of news on that gorgeous Animal Crossing-themed Switch, details on Pokémon Home, and even a new Super Smash Bros. fighter, but now it's time to take a breather and enjoy so
January2020
News Nintendo Says It's Focused On "Initiatives" To Keep Consumers Playing
Like add-on content
Nintendo wants to keep consumers playing its games for a prolonged period of time. It's previously done this by launching expansion content for titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Splatoon 2 and more recently has made DLC available for newer first-party releases. If you are eager to see more add-on packs...
News Pokémon Sword And Shield Sold A Phenomenal 16 Million Copies In Under Two Months
Here's how that compares to past games
Nintendo has released its nine-month earnings report, kindly sharing the latest official sales figures for us to explore, and one game in particular has absolutely blown us away. It has been confirmed that Pokémon Sword and Shield sold 16.06 million copies between launch day, 15th November 2019, and 31st...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 25th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
We've made it to the end of yet another week, this time bringing with it a successful legal battle for Nintendo relating to the Wii Remote and the news that the DOOM team has "bantered" with Nintendo to get Doomguy in Smash. We can dream. Now, though, it's time to put all of that aside and discuss our week
Video We've Played Pokémon Rival Temtem, And We Can't Wait For It To Hit Switch
Temtem, we have selected thusly!
The chatter surrounding Pokémon Sword & Shield – the latest entry in the series – has sparked some fans to drift apart from the OG creature-collector to some degree, so the time for a competitor to launch (in some form) has likely never been better. As it happens Temtem has done just that, and to say it's...
Japanese Charts Pokémon Sword And Shield Lifetime Sales Overtake Splatoon 2, And Smash Is Next
But it didn't get number one this week
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for 13th - 19th January, revealing that Pokémon Sword and Shield has lost its first-place position after nine straight weeks at the top. The two titles lost out to new Yakuza and Dragon Ball Z releases this week, but it's not all bad for the monster-catching beast...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 18th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Another week, another dollar - that's how that goes, right? This one has seen Smash Bros. reveals, patches bringing games up to the standard we'd have liked to see them at launch, and more lovely Switch ports heading ou
News Pokémon Sword And Shield Dethrones Diamond & Pearl In New Famitsu Sales Chart Record
The ninth week in first
Since the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield on the Nintendo Switch last November, both games have appeared at the top of the Japanese charts every single week. The latest chart data from 6th - 12th January, was no different. Pokémon took out the top spot for the ninth week in a row. If that wasn't already impressive...
News Switch Takes Nine Of Japan's Top Ten Best-Selling Games Of 2019
Here's the full list
With 2019 well and truly out of the way, it's time to look back at the best-selling games of the year in Nintendo's home country of Japan. The following list comes from Famitsu's estimated sales tracking data. As you can see, Pokémon Sword and Shield romped home to victory with a whopping 2,988,134 estimated sales. The games...
