Pokemon Go Teasing New Content from Sword and Shield
Favorites like Scorbunny and Sobble are joining Pokemon Go, and so is the Dynamax mechanic!
This weekend marks the eighth anniversary of Pokemon Go. Over the years, it's become a tradition for Niantic to tease its plans for the game's future with a piece of anniversary art, and this year is no exception. The developer has released a new piece featuring a plethora of Pokemon that have been added to the game recently, including the Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings versions of Necrozma. However, the art also features a big emphasis on Pokemon that originally appeared in the Galar region from Pokemon Sword and Shield, including a mix of those that are already in the game, and a few that aren't!
A small handful of Pokemon from Sword and Shield were added to Pokemon Go several years ago, and some of them can be seen in the eighth anniversary image, including Skwovet, Greedent, Falinks, and Dubwool. However, the Galar region has largely been ignored in the game, with Paldea getting more of a focus. That appears to be changing soon, as the anniversary image also shows Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble, and Morpeko. The anniversary art can be found below.
While the addition of these new Galar Pokemon would already be big news, the biggest (literally and figuratively) is that Dynamax is apparently coming to the game! In the background, we can see a Dynamax Wartortle looming in the background, looking absolutely enormous. Wartortle was probably selected for the art for two reasons: it shows that all Pokemon might be able to use Dynamax (not just those with Gigantamax forms), and it also happens to be the eighth Pokemon in the Pokedex, so it fits with the anniversary theme. Pokemon Sword and Shield also represents the eighth Pokemon generation, so it all clicks together pretty nicely.
Unfortunately, we have no idea yet how Dynamax and Gigantmax are going to play out in Pokemon Go. In Sword and Shield, the ability could only be used in select locations called Power Spots. It's possible the same could be true in Pokemon Go, or we could see the ability slightly tweaked, as we have with things like Mega Evolutions. Whatever the case might be, it seems like fans of Pokemon Go will have a lot to look forward to in the coming months!
Are you excited to see Sword and Shield content added to Pokemon Go? How do you think Dynamax will work? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
