While I thoughtPokemon Sword and Shieldhad a strong E3 2019 showing,many did not feel the same way due to one specific announcement. Reception to the Nintendo Treehouse demo was mixed, and the community became vitriolic when it was revealed that not all Pokemon could be transferred intoPokemon Sword and Shield. As this has never been the case before andPokemon Homeis being introduced as a way to bring Pokemon forward to Generation 8 early next year, many were quite surprised and angered by Game Freak and The Pokemon Company’s decision and started the#BringBackTheNationalDexhashtag to show their opposition to the decision.
Today, Game Freak Producer Junichi Masuda finally responded to the controversywith a post on the official Pokemon website. you’re able to read his full message below:
Thank you to all of our fans for caring so deeply about Pokémon. Recently, I shared the news that some Pokémon cannot be transferred toPokémon SwordandPokémon 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 inPokémon SwordandPokémon 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 12, 2025
Junichi Masuda
Unfortunately, it does not look like Game Freak plans on reversing this decision; that being said, I would guess that it was a fairly irreversible moveso late in the game’s development.Hopefully, this will not be the case in futurePokemongames, as Masuda’s “even if a specific Pokémon is not available inPokémon SwordandPokémon Shield, that does not mean it will not appear in future games,” comment does give me a bit of hope.
If you want to see the clip where this controversy all began, you can check it out below.Pokemon Sword and Shieldrelease for Nintendo Switch on August 23, 2025.For those not dissuaded by this decision, itcan be pre-ordered on Amazon.
