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Pokémon Sword and Shield may let its players access the game’s online features without a Nintendo Switch Online membership, according to the fine print on its official website (via WccfTech).
As well as battling, Trainers have exciting new connective and collaborative features to look forward to in the new game. The Pokémon Camp is like the Trainer’s pit stop, and they’ll prop up a tiny tent and spark a campfire so their Pokémon can relax and play in between journeys. This will increase their battling stats and strengthen their bond with the Trainer, and other players will be able to visit their camp and bring their team along to make friends.
In addition, the Surprise Trade will match two Trainers as they’re out gallivanting in the Wild Zone of Galar. The Trainers will have chosen one of their creatures to trade, and once they’re matched up with a player, the two will exchange. Neither will know which Pokémon they will receive, so it’s like a lucky dip. These online features would surely be accessible through the player’s Nintendo Switch Online membership, but Pokémon Sword and Shield might be a special case.
Scroll down to the end of the official Sword and Shield website and there’s a statement that reads as follows: ‘Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for some online features. This game includes an in-game purchase option for users who do not have a membership.’
This would let players who want to engage with the online features of Pokémon Sword and Shield save a few pennies. They wouldn’t need to sign up for a monthly subscription for multiple online Switch titles if they were only interested in the new Pokémon game. And Pokémon Sword and Shield will be using an autosave system, which is unlike every other game in the series, so it’s possible that it’s innovating in multiple areas.
We’ll keep you in the loop once we know more about how the online features will work. Pokémon Sword and Shield will release exclusively for the Switch on November 15.
