Gaming

‘Pokémon Sword & Shield’ Creators Have Apologised To Fans Who Are Angry They Can’t Catch ‘Em All

Some gamers are even sharing screenshots of their cancelled pre-orders.

by Jared Richards  1 July 2019
Pokémon Sword & Shield Pokedex controversy

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While the excitement surrounding Pokémon Sword & Shield is at a fever pitch, some fans are deeply upset by the recent news that, for the first time, you won’t be able to Catch ‘Em All this time around. Not all previous Pokémon will be transferrable over to this game, and boy, were people mad — now, the game’s producer has made a short, succinct statement dressing the issue.

At E3 last month, Nintendo dropped a lot of new details about Sword & Shield — including revealing the unbearably adorable sheep Pokémon Wooloo and water gym leader/icon Nessa, as well as the news that this game, unlike others, wouldn’t support 100 percent imports and trades from other Pokémon games. That means you wouldn’t be able to collect ’em all, with die-hard fans upset they’d leave behind the teams they’ve built up for years.

As a result, Twitch and Twitter have been inundated with hashtags like #Dexit and #BringBackNationalDex, both referring to the National Pokédex which allows you to catalogue and import previous generations of Pokémon.

In a statement yesterday, the game’s producer Junichi Masuda has commented on the controversy, saying “I’ve read all your comments and appreciate your love and passion for Pokémon”, and acknowledging that not including all the previous 809 Pokémon was a “very difficult decision”. Sword & Shield will still only feature some, not all, Pokémon, but Masuda assured fans that a particular breed’s absence doesn’t mean they won’t 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,” he wrote. “We are pouring our hearts into these games, and we hope you will look forward to joining us on this new journey.”

Not everyone is happy, with some even Tweeting out their cancelled pre-orders in reaction. The controversy continues; we’ll find out what did and didn’t make the cut when Pokémon Sword & Shield arrives this November. On the plus side, everyone seems to be pretty hyped for Pokémon Masters, the just-announced mobile game.