Game Freak Addresses Pokemon Sword and Shield National Dex

By Adam Bankhurst

Game Freak’s Junichi Masuda, the producer of Pokémon Sword and Shield, has issued a statement in response to the news that some Pokémon will not be able to be transferred to the newest entry on the Nintendo Switch from previous games.

Posted to Pokemon.com, Masuda-san has assured fans that while some Pokémon may not be available in Pokémon Sword and Shield, that does not mean they will not appear in future games.

Thank you to all of our fans for caring so deeply about Pokémon. Recently, I shared the news that some Pokémon cannot be transferred to Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. I’ve read all your comments and appreciate your love and passion for Pokémon.

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 world of Pokémon continues to evolve. The Galar region offers new Pokémon to encounter, Trainers to battle, and adventures to embark on. We are pouring our hearts into these games, and we hope you will look forward to joining us on this new journey.

Not All Pokémon Can Be Transferred to the Galar Region

The news of not all Pokémon being able to join those living in Pokémon Sword and Shield’s Galar region was delivered by Masuda-san in an interview with Famitsu earlier this month. He cited that there are already over 800 Pokémon species and, now that they’re on the Nintendo Switch, they are being created with “much higher fidelity with higher quality animations.”

Unfortunately, this reasoning, alongside battle balance issues, led to the decision.

Masuda-san’s quote also appears to indicate that the missing Pokémon may not be added to the game post-launch. Obviously, things can change, but fans may have to wait for future entries if one of their favorites don’t make it.

Pokémon Sword and Shield at E3 2019

At E3 2019, two new Pokémon were revealed for Pokémon Sword and Shield and we learned a ton of new details, including more about the Wild Area, Dynamax Raids, and another new Gym Leader.

Pokémon Sword and Pokemon Shield are Nintendo Switch games and have a release date of November 15, 2019.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who hopes Scyther and Mimikyu make it in to Pokemon Sword and Shield. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.