The competitive Pokémon scene is about to change! With Pokémon Sword and Shield introducing new creatures and new battle mechanics, the new season of pro play will undergo a dramatic transformation.
As such, The Pokemon Company have now released details of how the 2020 season will look:
- All matches will be Double Battles, meaning you will have two Pokémon on the field at once.
- Each player needs their own Nintendo Switch with either Pokémon Sword or Shield.
- Only Pokémon caught in the Galar region will be tournament legal.
- All Pokémon contained in the Galar Regional Pokédex are allowed, except for Mythical Pokémon and certain Legendary Pokémon.
- Pokémon will be equalised to Level 50, including those below Level 50.
- Duplicate Pokémon and duplicate held items will not be allowed.
Each battle will start with a Team Preview phase, lasting 90 seconds. Overall, players will be entitled to 7 minutes of Your Time, 45 seconds of Move Time, and in a return to the VGC, 15 minutes of Game Time.
This format is similar to the format used recently, but with the re-addition of the Game Time should see matches proceed swiftly. For those unfamiliar with how competitive Pokémon works, check out the 2019 Masters Division Grand Final for an idea:
The big addition to Sword and Shield is the ability for Pokémon to enter Dynamax and Gigantamax forms. Given players can use this only once per game, and with the effect lasting just three turns, this will add a whole new level of strategy to battles.
The Pokémon Company have announced strict rules regarding which Pokémon with the Gigantamax Factor can be used:
Butterfree / Centiscorch / Charizard / Corviknight / Drednaw / Eevee / Meowth / Pikachu / Sandaconda / Snorlax.
NOTE: Charizard is only permitted to have the Ability Blaze, since Solar Power Charizard is difficult to obtain — likely creating an unfair competitive advantage.
As the game evolves, the list of species able to Gigantamax will also expand. As such the VGC rules will be amended every few months to reflect which Pokémon will be permitted.
The shift to Sword and Shield as the basis for the Video Game Championships begins on January 4, 2020 — meaning there's just a few weeks to build that pefect, meta-breaking team!
You can use the official Event Locator to find tournaments near you. Meanwhile, check out our guides and walkthrough to help you get started. Good luck!
Find out how to get the most out of Max Raids with our guide to this new feature in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
