Which generation of Pokémon games includes Pokémon Sword and Shield?

Pokémon Sword and Shield are Generation VIII Pokémon games.

Developed by Game Freak and released for Nintendo Switch on November 15, 2019, the games introduced the Galar region. Galar draws heavily on the landscapes, architecture, and cultural imagery of the United Kingdom, giving the generation a distinct setting within the Pokémon world.

Sword and Shield added new species such as Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble, Zacian, and Zamazenta. They also introduced Dynamax and Gigantamax, mechanics that temporarily enlarge certain Pokémon during battles. The Wild Area provided broad explorable spaces and helped move the series toward larger environments.

The games are sometimes confused with Generation IX because both generations appeared on Nintendo Switch. Generation IX began with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in 2022. Generation numbering refers to the main series' groups of new Pokémon and game mechanics, not the console on which the games run.