Game Freak’s Junichi Masuda, producer of the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield, has responded to the backlash to the news that not all Pokemon from previous generations cannot be transferred to Sword and Shield via a post on Pokemon.com.
Despite the announcement of Pokemon Home, a sort of update of the 3DS app Pokémon Bank, for Nintendo Switch, it was recently announced that Sword and Shield will only be able to receive Galar region Pokemon (those who appear in Sword and Shield) from Pokemon Home.
Masuda-san’s statement is as follows:
Thank you to all of our fans for caring so deeply about Pokemon. Recently, I shared the news that some Pokémon cannot be transferred to Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. I've read all your comments and appreciate your love and passion for Pokemon.
Just like all of you, we are passionate about Pokemon and each and every one of them is very important to us. After so many years of developing the Pokemon video games, this was a very difficult decision for me. I'd like to make one thing clear: even if a specific Pokemon is not available in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, that does not mean it will not appear in future games.
The world of Pokemon continues to evolve. The Galar region offers new Pokemon 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.
Earlier this month Masuda-san announced the unavailability of some previous-gen Pokemon in Sword and Shield. Due to the vast number of Pokemon created over the decades, a massive amount of work would be required to render them on the Nintendo Switch with the fidelity and animations required. Battle balance issues were also cited as a reason for the unavailability.According to the statement, the unavailability of older Pokemon in Sword and Shield doesn’t mean those Pokémon definitely will not appear in future games.
Pokemon Sword and Shield releases for Nintendo Switch on November 14, 2019.
