Game Freak doubles down on its decision to limit the amount of Pokémon available in Sword and Shield

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Game Freak caused a lot of hubub at E3 this year after saying that Pokemon Sword and Shield wouldn't let players transfer every known Pokémon into the game via the Pokémon Bank. Each game from now on will only have a select number of Pokémon included.

That means that you won't be able to catch em' all anymore. After the news broke at E3 fans of all shapes and sizes voiced their disappointment on Twitter, Reddit, and elsewhere. They were upset that they will no longer be able to keep their full collection of Pokémon going with each new game release. 

Earlier today, Game Freak's Junichi Masuda released a statement on the official Pokémon website, reaffirming the original news to restrict the amount of pocket monsters in Sword and Shield.

"Thank you to all of our fans for caring so deeply about Pokémon. Recently, I shared the news that some Pokémon cannot be transferred to Pokémon Swordand Pokémon Shield. I've read all your comments and appreciate your love and passion for Pokémon.

Just like all of you, we are passionate about Pokémon and each and every one of them is very important to us. After so many years of developing the Pokémon video games, this was a very difficult decision for me. I'd like to make one thing clear: even if a specific Pokémon is not available in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, that does not mean it will not appear in future games.

The world of Pokémon continues to evolve. The Galar region offers new Pokémon 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."

So despite the outrage, it looks like Game Freak is sticking to their guns.

If you're excited about Pokemon Sword and Shield, why not check out our pick of the best upcoming Switch games for 2019 and beyond? 

Contributor

Aron Garst is a journalist and writer exploring the future of games and interactivity. Follow him on X at @GarstProduction.