At E3, It was announced that the new Pokémon games would not have all the 800+ Pokémon available in it. Pokémon Sword and Shield is being released in November, and players will be able to use the Pokémon home service that is coming next year to be able to import their older Pokémon – that the restrictions allow. Players won’t be able to transfer over all their Pokémon from older generations into Pokémon Sword and Shield- and it seems the future installments of Pokémon games will also not have every single Pokémon available either. So, good luck trying to get one of every single Pokémon for your National Pokédex or use one of your favorite Pokémon if it is restricted.
Game Freak came forward after the controversy with now series producer Junichi Matsuda, who responded to the outcry from fans. Below is the translation that was released on the Pokémon website:
“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 Sword and 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.”
June 28th, 2019
Junichi Masuda”