Whip out your calendars, Pokéfans – there’s an upcoming date you won’t want to miss for the world.
As per its official press release, Nintendo has confirmed that a deluge of new details for Pokémon Sword and Shield will be revealed as part of a Direct Presentation to be held next week. Echoing The Pokémon Company’s original announcement of the Switch games earlier this year, this particular stream will be available to watch on both Twitch and YouTube and is scheduled to run for roughly 15 minutes.
Eager for more? Sadly, no information beyond that outlined above was provided, though we’re willing to take an educated guess and say brand new Pokémon, as well as further details regarding gameplay mechanics are on the cards. As of now, the three starters that Trainers will be choosing from are all we’ve seen of Generation 8’s Pokédex, and with more than 100 new entries usually added with each new pair of titles, it’s likely safe to assume that several new ‘Mons will get some long-awaited screen time.
Expect further elaboration, too, on Sword and Shield‘s Galar region. Since all the way back in February, fans have been speculating that Game Freak has taken inspiration from the British Isles for its latest setting, prompting further speculation that X & Y‘s Kalos region – based on France – could be part of the adventure. We’ll certainly be keeping our eyes peeled on that front.
As for the other potential mentions, battle system improvements, a reveal of the new antagonist and perhaps even a glimpse at the coveted Legendary Pokémon inevitably bound to be plastered all over each game’s respective box art could be on the cards. Can Game Freak fit all that and more into 15 minutes? Unlikely, but with this year’s E3 just a stone’s throw away, whatever fails to make the cut next week will assuredly be present or further touched upon there.
Either way, the wealth of new information for Pokémon Sword and Shield begins to emerge next week, June 5th. See you then.