Get excited Pokemon fans, because the developers behind the worlds biggest kid-friendly RPG franchise is about to reveal some sweet new details about the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield for the Switch. We’ve seen a lot of this game these last few months. New legendaries within a new region that has an entirely unique Pokedex, and so much more.
With the newest trailer though, we finally see all the PvP and other battle options that will be part of in action. Single and Double battles will be making a return trip this year, but that’s just the beginning. And with the addition of Dynamax and Gigantamax forms, things are about to get hectic. One key detail is that Pokemon don’t have to hold a specific item to enter this new form, which is nice for opening up held items options in ranked play. More on that after the jump.
Check out the new trailer down below, then hop below the fold for a breakdown of all the new info. Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield release on November 15 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
With a new generation, a lot is likely to change, so let’s dig in.
A big reveal here is details about the new Battle Stadium online modes. New Casual battles will be part of the online system. There will be ranked matches for Single and Double battles, offering a nice grind for competitive players too. The laid-back Casual fights won’t confer increases in ranks in online leaderboards, but they’re otherwise just like any other battle. Casual battles will also allow the entry of Legendary and Mythical Pokemon, which are normally barred from multiplayer modes.
And yes, held items will be coming back in this new generation. The Pokemon Company revealed two new items in this class, each with unique effects.
One new item is called Room Service. An item aimed at competitive players that lowers speed if a move called Trick Room is active. This special move reverses attack order so that the member with lower Speed attacks first. Another addition is the the Eject Pack, which allows the player to hot-swap out a team member when their stats are lowered. Great for when you get hit with move that sharply lowers defense or speed and want to avoid the setup for an obviously devastating attack.
Other footage shown of the Switch title detailed aspects beyond battling, like new characters. As you adventure across the Galar region, you might encounter your biggest challenge, new rivals. Pokemon Sword and Shield will have at least two new rival characters for the player to face off against. Marnie and Bede will be following the player around, and Marnie even has her own punk band cheer squad with Team Yell.
