Pokémon Sword And Shield Launch Events And Competitions Revealed

Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding recent Pokémon Sword and Shield leaks, Game Freak is hard at work prepping for next week’s official launch.

With potential trailers intended to reveal new Pokémon now largely redundant thanks to early copies hitting the market, the developer has instead turned its attention to notifying fans of some opportunities to watch out for next week. Among the celebrations will be a limited-time event meant to encourage Trainers new and old into visiting the pair’s sprawling Wild Area. Specifically, it’s the multiplayer-exclusive Max Raid Battles found only in the aforementioned zone that’s the particular topic of focus.

Starting from release day on November 15th and due to run until January 2020, players participating in the multiplayer-exclusive feature with other Trainers online will enjoy increased encounter rates for specific Raid bosses. Which Pokémon you’ll encounter will depend on the version, however, with Sword owners getting Drednaw and their Shield counterparts Corviknight. Butterfree, on the other hand, will have its appearance rates increased across the board and all three will be present in their form-altering and size-boosting Gigantamax forms.

In addition to the above, The Pokémon Company has confirmed that registration for Sword and Shield‘s first online competition – Galar Beginnings – commences on the same day and ends December 5th, with matches subsequently planned to take place a few days later. See below for the format and rule requirements:

• Certain special Pokémon will not be allowed.
• Register three to six of your Pokémon to your Battle Team.
• All Pokémon in this competition will automatically become Lv. 50 for the duration of each match.