Pokemon Sword and Shield

Removed Features

Game8's Pokemon TCG Pocket Wiki is live!
☆ Check out our competitive guides for Scarlet and Violet!
Tier List / Doubles Tier List / Movesets / Rental Teams
Competitive Battle Guide

Removed Features

This is a guide on removed features of Pokemon that are not present in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. Read on to learn more.

New Features of Sword and Shield

Removed Features

ssbanner

There are several features from the previous Pokemon series that are not included in the new Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, confirmed by GAME FREAK (the developer of Pokemon series) in an interview.

National Dex

Perhaps the largest change to Pokemon Sword and Shield is the removal of the National Dex, and Game Freak's decision to not to include all Pokemon that have been released up to this point. While Sword and Shield will still boast an impressive cast of obtainable Pokemon, some of your favorites may have not made the cut. If you are curious to know which Pokemon are confirmed to be availabe in this game, see our list of Pokemon.

Pokedex and List of All Pokemon

Exp. Share

EXP Share.jpg

According to Director Shigeru Ohmori, Pokemon Sword and Shield do not have the Exp. Share item. When asked if players need to train each Pokemon for Exp. Points, Ohmori confirmed that every Pokemon in your party will get equal experience automatically as the game progresses.

Hidden Machines

HM1.jpg
Planning Director Kazumasa Iwao confirmed that Hidden Machines (HMs) are not in the new series either, because he thought that HMs do not fit the concept of Sword and Shield.


We didn’t have them in Sun and Moon, and this time around, we didn’t feel it really matched the concept, especially with the Wild Area and wanting to have this higher degree of freedom. The player can kind of choose how they want to engage with the gameplay. Having the more HM-based elements, we didn’t feel it really matched the game, so this time around they’re not in it, Iwao said in an interview.

Wonder Trade

Trade_3.jpg

Wonder Trade allowed players to trade Pokemon randomly in the Nintendo 3DS core series. It is now replaced by Surprise Trades in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield.

What are Surprise Trades?

Mega Evolution

mega venusaur.png

Mega Evolution which was seen in Generation VI, is replaced by Dynamax in the new series. Mega Evolution allowed some species of Pokemon to temporarily evolve into a more powerful form of their max evolution.

Dynamax

Z-Moves

Z-move.jpg

Z-Moves, which are the strongest attack by a Pokemon according to type, is replaced by G-Max Moves, which occur when you go Gigantamax in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Gigantamax

Rating Battle

Tier List

The Rating Battle feature which has been the center stage of in-game competitive battling since Generation 5 games is replaced by Ranked Battles. Ranked Battles' tier system pits players with similar skills into their respective tiers, and rank up as they win more battles or rank down if they lose. This system eliminates mismatches between beginners and experienced trainers.

Each new season, players are placed at one tier lower than what they finished in the last season.

How to Play Ranked Battle

Pokemon Sword and Shiled Related Links

Beginner Tips and Guides

Top Page
Getting a Good Start
Things to Know Before Starting Pokemon How to Adjust Screen Size
Recommended Settings
Galar Starters
Which Starter Pokemon Should You Choose? How to Get All 3 Starters
Changing Appearance
How to Change Your Appearance How to Change Your Uniform
Pokemon Battles
Type Effectiveness and Damage Output Fishing for Pokemon
How to Run Away -
Building the Best Team
How to Build the Best Team Train Pokemon Like a Pro
Catching Legendary Pokemon -
Your Pokemon
How to Stop Evolutions How to Release Pokemon
How to Get More PC Boxes -
Online Features
How to Add Friends How to Get and Use the Y-Comm
How to Battle and Trade with Friends How to Max Raid with Friends
Pokemon Camp
How to Pokemon Camp with Friends How to Get Toys
How to Make Best Curry -
Useful Information
How to Get Money (Poke Dollars) Fast Things to Do Every Day
Useful Characters and Their Locations List of Unrepeatable One-time Events
List of All Mystery Gift Codes How to Get BP
New in Sword and Shield
Differences Between Dynamax and Gigantamax Access Pokemon Boxes on the Road
How to Get Sweets Removed Features

Author

    Walkthrough Menu

    Please participate in our
    site improvement survey 11/2024
    Would you assist in
    improving Game8's site?
    ×
    This survey will take about 1 minute.
    Your answers will help us to improve our website.
    We are listening to our users' valuable opinions and discussing how to act on them.
    The information collected through this survey will be used for the purpose of improving our services. In addition, the information will only be disclosed a part of a statistic in a format that will not allow identification of personal information.
    Begin Survey

    All rights reserved