Pokemon Sword and Shield Gets an Update

Pokemon Sword and Shield's latest update is now live. Earlier today, Game Freak rolled out a brand new update for Pokemon Sword and Shield, which allegedly patches some undisclosed bug fixes, including those that deal with some battle mechanics. Patch notes are not currently available, but players can download the update for free when they connect to the Internet with their Nintendo Switch. There is likely no significant content update included to Pokemon Sword and Shield, as they game was functionally completed with the release of its Crown Tundra DLC earlier this fall.

Pokemon Sword and Shield has enjoyed a prolonged timeline of updates thanks to having downloadable content, making it the first Pokemon game to receive multiple new post-launch content updates. The "Isle of Armor" and "Crown Tundra" DLC packages added two new areas to explore (each of which was approximately the size of the original Wild Area) and added several hundred Pokemon from past games to the Galar Region. Additionally, the new DLC also added several new game modes, such as the Max Raid Battles and the Galarian Star tournament. The DLC also continued the trend started in Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon of adding new Pokemon to a "generation" of games after launch, by adding several new Legendary Pokemon (and a regional Slowpoke line) to the game.

If this update is the last major update for Pokemon Sword and Shield, it likely means that we can start looking towards the future of the Pokemon franchise. The 25th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise is next year, and the Pokemon Company has big plans. In addition to a ton of new content planned for the Pokemon Trading Card Game and Pokemon Go, there are also plans to release a slate of several new Pokemon games, including a new Pokemon Snap, the MOBA game Pokemon Unite, and a sequel to Detective Pikachu. Rumors are also swirling about a new Pokemon game, likely a remake of a past game like Pokemon Gold and Silver or Pokemon Diamond and Pearl.