Watch Pokemon Sword/Shield Nintendo Switch Direct: Gen 8 Starters, New Location, And More Revealed

Not long after Nintendo's big February 2019 Direct, the company has delivered another presentation, this one focusing entirely on the new 2019 Pokemon RPGs releasing for Nintendo Switch later this year. The broadcast aired on the series' anniversary, Pokemon Day, and it delivered information on what we now know is called Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield.

The presentation was roughly seven minutes long and revealed the Gen 8 starters Grookey (Grass-type), Sobble (Water-type), and Scorbunny (Fire-type). Beyond those newcomers, the look at the game only showed us existing creatures; we've rounded up all the Pokemon in Sword and Shield we've spotted so far. There are quite a few returning favorites, but not necessarily any big surprises. We don't know the identity of any new Legendaries yet; as such, we don't know precisely what the differences between Sword and Shield are at this point.

The Direct also showcased the Galar Region, where the two games are set. Interestingly, the location seems to be inspired by Britain, and at one point the main character is shown wearing a soccer uniform and is walking into a stadium. The shape of the region is very reminiscent of Britain, as are the location of the biomes. There's also some smaller touches like cottages and other buildings that look distinctly British. We also spotted some mysterious symbols, though what they mean is anyone's guess at this point.

The Pokemon Company has said the games will be released in the latter half of 2019 and will receive a simultaneous worldwide launch. They'll be available exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

Developer Game Freak has previously said it is looking into allowing players to use their older Pokemon in the new title, although nothing concrete has been announced. You can read more about the game in our roundup of everything we know so far about Pokemon for Nintendo Switch.

The latest Pokemon games, Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, released on Switch last November. The pair are remakes of sorts of Pokemon Yellow, featuring the same setting and the original 151 Pokemon. However, they also diverge from the series in some dramatic ways; unlike most mainline games, they don't feature abilities or held items, and they eschew wild Pokemon battles for Pokemon Go's catching mechanics.