Grookey! Scorbunny! Sobble! The UK-inspired region of Galar! It’s all happening in the world of Pokémon, after Nintendo and Game Freak today announced Sword and Shield, the eighth generation of those adorable pocket monsters.
Due for release later this year, Pokémon Sword and Shield are teeming with new critters to collect and dungeons to explore, and you’ll be pleased to know that, while Nintendo is yet to formally announce an exact launch date, both Sword and Shield are available to pre-order.
They’re currently priced at $59.99 a piece on Amazon, while the only pre-order bonus on offer comes from Best Buy, where members will receive $10 reward credit should they purchase either Sword or Shield before release. It’s not much, but then again, Nintendo has never been big on all those pre-order shenanigans.
Via Game Freak:
A new generation of Pokémon is coming to the Nintendo Switch system. Become a Pokémon Trainer and embark on a new journey in the new Galar region! Choose from one of three new partner Pokémon: Grookey, Scorbunny, or Sobble. In this all-new adventure, you’ll encounter new and familiar Pokémon as you catch, battle, and trade Pokémon while exploring new areas and uncovering an all-new story. Get ready for the next Pokémon adventure in the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games.
Closer to the time, we imagine Nintendo will pull together some form of Sword and Shield console bundle, which will surely help drive unit sales as we approach the festive season. This, coupled with the release of Super Mario Maker 2 and Yoshi’s Crafted World, means Switch owners have plenty to look forward to over the next few months – not least because the industry has its fingers crossed for an Animal Crossing announcement at E3.
So once Detective Pikachu has come and gone, and Niantic’s Pokémon Go receives another update or two, all eyes will turn towards Pokémon Sword and Shield. It’s currently penciled in for a late 2019 release on the Nintendo Switch, and pre-orders are now live.