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Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield (ポケットモンスター ソード・シールド, Poketto Monsutā Sōdo・Shīrudo; Pocket Monsters Sword・Shield, which translated from English to Portuguese means Sword and Shield, Sword and Shield in Japanese are respectively 剣 Ken and 盾 Tate) are two role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. They are part of the eighth generation of the Pokémon series, and the second games in this franchise, after Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, released on a home console. Originally teased at E3 2017 and announced in February 2019, Pokémon Sword and Shield were released in November 2019 for Nintendo Switch. The games received two downloadable content expansion packs via a bundle featuring The Isle of Armor, released in June 2020, and The Crown Tundra, released in October 2020. A physical bundle including both expansion packs along with the base games was released in November 2020.
The planning for the concept of Sword and Shield began immediately after the completion of Pokémon Sun and Moon in 2016, while full production began a year later, in September 2017. As in previous titles, they chronicle the journey of a young Pokémon trainer aiming to become the Pokémon Champion, this time in the new Galar region, located in the United Kingdom. The main objective of the games is to dethrone the Pokémon League Champion, Leon, in a tournament in which several other gym leaders and rivals also participate, while dealing with Team Yell and a nefarious conspiracy within the League. Sword and Shield introduces 81 new Pokémon alongside 13 regional forms of pre-existing Pokémon; Dynamaxing, which increases the size of Pokémon under certain conditions; Gigantamaxing, which also alters the form of certain Pokémon; and the Wild Area, which is a large open-world area with free camera movement that contains cooperative raid battles. The two games also reintroduce features previously seen in Sun and Moon and Let's Go, Pikachu! Let's Go, Eevee!, as well as regional forms and traveling Pokémon represented in the overworld.
When the decision not to include all pre-existing Pokémon in Sword and Shield was announced, there was a backlash from a segment of the fan community, resulting in a controversy known as "Dexit" and calls for a boycott months before its release. Despite this, Sword and Shield received generally positive reviews from critics. Particular praise was directed at the creature design, new features, and emphasis on simplicity, player freedom, and streamlined encounters, although some criticized the game's smaller Pokédex and a perceived lack of polish or depth. As of March 2021, Sword and Shield had sold over 21 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch, and is currently the fifth best-selling game on the Switch.
The planning for the concept of Sword and Shield began immediately after the completion of Pokémon Sun and Moon in 2016, while full production began a year later, in September 2017. As in previous titles, they chronicle the journey of a young Pokémon trainer aiming to become the Pokémon Champion, this time in the new Galar region, located in the United Kingdom. The main objective of the games is to dethrone the Pokémon League Champion, Leon, in a tournament in which several other gym leaders and rivals also participate, while dealing with Team Yell and a nefarious conspiracy within the League. Sword and Shield introduces 81 new Pokémon alongside 13 regional forms of pre-existing Pokémon; Dynamaxing, which increases the size of Pokémon under certain conditions; Gigantamaxing, which also alters the form of certain Pokémon; and the Wild Area, which is a large open-world area with free camera movement that contains cooperative raid battles. The two games also reintroduce features previously seen in Sun and Moon and Let's Go, Pikachu! Let's Go, Eevee!, as well as regional forms and traveling Pokémon represented in the overworld.
When the decision not to include all pre-existing Pokémon in Sword and Shield was announced, there was a backlash from a segment of the fan community, resulting in a controversy known as "Dexit" and calls for a boycott months before its release. Despite this, Sword and Shield received generally positive reviews from critics. Particular praise was directed at the creature design, new features, and emphasis on simplicity, player freedom, and streamlined encounters, although some criticized the game's smaller Pokédex and a perceived lack of polish or depth. As of March 2021, Sword and Shield had sold over 21 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch, and is currently the fifth best-selling game on the Switch.