Pokemon Sword and Shield Art Director Celebrates the Game’s First Anniversary

It has officially been one year since Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield first released for the Nintendo Switch! The latest and greatest mainline Pokemon video games marked a dramatic shift from previous models, and not only because it was the first to release for something that wasn’t only a handheld console. From Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon to the first-ever downloadable content expansions, it has been a momentous year for the franchise, and Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield art director James Turner has taken the opportunity to celebrate with a new bit of art.

The best part about Turner’s new art isn’t simply the fact that he’s celebrating the first anniversary of the Pokemon titles, but that he’s managed to include nods to the journey over the past year. While it of course includes the new starters — Sobble, Grookey, and Scorbunny — there is also an appearance from both Kubfu and Calyrex, the Legendary Pokemon from the DLC expansions. You can check out Turner’s lovely bit of new anniversary art below:

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are both currently available for the Nintendo Switch. The latest bit of downloadable content, The Crown Tundra, recently released. It is unclear whether the popular video games will receive further DLC at this time. You can check out all of our previous coverage of Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield right here.

What do you think of Turner’s anniversary art? Have you been playing through The Crown Tundra yourself? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk about all things gaming!