Pokemon Games Will NEVER Have A Full Pokedex Again

Pokemon Sword and Shield is slated to launch exclusively for Nintendo Switch later this month, making it the first time that a main game in the series has launched for a home console. Despite buzz around the game being mostly positive, there is one area that has stirred up a bit of controversy: the Pokedex.

As each new Pokemon game is released and the Pokedex gets bigger and bigger, it becomes harder and harder for the developer to pack them all into one game. They usually just pick a certain number of Pokemon to include in the main game, and then let players import the other Pokemon into the game once they’ve completed it. However, the controversy is that Sword and Shield will be the first game in the series to not have that feature, and it looks like this trend will continue.

Long-time Pokemon overseer Junichi Masuda said in a recent interview that importing missing Pokemon is not currently on the cards. He said “We currently have no plans to make the Pokemon that are missing from the Galar [Sword and Shield] Pokedex available in-game. This is an approach that we want to continue with in future Pokemon games.”

Adding on to the controversy is a recent leak of the Pokedex that will feature in the game, and the cuts are severe. Over half of the Pokedex has been cut in the upcoming game, with the likes of Bulbasaur and Squirtle not being included. This image from ResetEra user Joseki outlines all of the cuts, with green ones being included and white ones being left out.

Pokemon Sword and Shield launches exclusively or Nintendo Switch on November 15th.