PokÃ©mon Sword and PokÃ©mon Shield[a] are 2019 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The PokÃ©mon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. They are the first installments in the eighth generation of the PokÃ©mon video game series and the second in the series, after PokÃ©mon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, to be released on a home game console.

Sword and Shield's concept planning began immediately following the completion of PokÃ©mon Sun and Moon in 2016, while full production began a year later in late 2017. Like previous installments, they chronicle the journey of a young PokÃ©mon trainer, with these games taking place in the Galar region â€“ based on Great Britain â€“ with the objective being to dethrone the PokÃ©mon League Champion Leon in a tournament the various gym leaders also take part in. Sword and Shield introduce 81 new PokÃ©mon alongside 13 regional variants of preexisting PokÃ©mon. Several new features were added such as Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing, which increase the size of certain PokÃ©mon and the latter changes their forms. The new Wild Area is a large open world area with free camera movement where players can also participate in raids with co-op battling. The two games also reintroduce features previously seen in Sun and Moon and Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, such as regional variants and roaming PokÃ©mon depicted in the overworld, respectively. Announced in February 2019, PokÃ©mon Sword and Shield were released worldwide in November 2019.

The decision not to make all pre-existing PokÃ©mon available in the games was met with scorn by a segment of the fan community, causing terms such as "Dexit" and "Bring Back National Dex" and calls for a boycott to trend on social media months ahead of the games' release. Nevertheless, Sword and Shield received generally positive reviews from critics. Particular praise was aimed at the creature design, new features and the emphasis on simplicity and streamlined encounters, although some did criticize the game's smaller PokÃ©dex and lack of polish or substance. As of 2019, Sword and Shield have sold more than six million units worldwide. In Japan, the games sold 2 million in their first 3 days, becoming the fastest-selling Switch games in Japan. In the US, the games sold over 2 million in their opening weekend.

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