Pokemon Sword & Shield players say goodbye to Gen 8 ahead of Scarlet & Violet

As November 2022 gets underway, Pokemon Sword & Shield has received their final update to the Wild Area. This has prompted bittersweet goodbyes on social media from fans around the world.

Pokemon Sword & Shield ushered in the 8th generation of the franchise in 2019, bringing new elements to the series as it settled into the Nintendo Switch console. While many weren’t sure of the open-world style Wild Area or Pokemon Go-inspired Max Raid battles when the game first launched, it has gone on to be widely celebrated over the past three years.

However, with the launch of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet on November 18, Gen 8 is starting to wind down. The Pokemon TCG has announced the end of the Sword & Shield run, the online competitive scene has come to a close, and as of November 1, 2022, the Wild Area has received its final update.

Fans who have fallen in love with Pokemon Sword & Shield’s Galar region have taken to social media, sharing a bittersweet goodbye to the game that helped get many through the difficulties of the past several years.

Pokemon Sword & Shield fans say goodbye to Galar

The Gen 8 goodbyes have spanned Twitter, with users like Serebii.net’s Joe Merrick offering a heartfelt farewell to the games. His post reads, “The time is here. This month is the end of Generation 8 of Pokémon. Pokémon Sword & Shield had a rocky buildup but easily became my favorite Pokémon games. Pokémon Legends: Arceus provided a lovely fresh experience. BDSP existed. Farewell, Gen 8. You’ve been amazing.”

Meanwhile, Pokemon fan CNdaiz shares a series of screenshots from their time playing, commenting, “I’m gonna be so sad to say goodbye to Pokemon Sword & Shield, I’ve honestly had such a great time with this generation”.

Sword & Shield fan TomSauce also shares thoughts on the goodbye, adding “Dunno why today is the day to say goodbye to gen 8, but for all its rough patches, I still love it a lot and will miss it being the current gen”.

For all its struggles, bumps, and growing pains, Pokemon Sword & Shield helped pave the way for other games in the series on the Nintendo Switch. While this chapter in the franchise is closing, all good Pokemon Trainers know…the journey continues.