It may not have the entire Pokedex, but it will have fully fleshed out league play.
Pokemon Sword and Shield will be introducing a ranked mode similar to many of the other esports titles’ ranked mode where your level of play is used to put you into a league. Within the Battle Arena you’ll be able to compete against other trainers with your rating on the line.
#PokemonSwordShield introduces Ranked Battles. Players have a rank from Beginner to Master Ball, and will be matched with players of similar rank when playing Ranked Battles. Your rank will drop at the end of each season. pic.twitter.com/vLi8eW5cOx
— BulbaNewsNOW (@BulbaNewsNOW) August 16, 2019
While the newest entry into the main-line Pokemon game may not be winning over its audience with a chopped list of Pokemon and extremely par animation quality, at least it seems that it’s trying one new major mechanic.
The Battle Arena will also be host to casual 1v1 and 2v2 battles so you can battle other trainers without the worry of your rank being on the line.
Players can see just how well they fare in battle by using the upcoming Pokemon Home app.
Check out a preview of the new mode and some of the other features in store in the official Pokemon video: