Which Pokémon game pair introduced the Galar region?

Pokémon Sword and Shield introduced the Galar region.

Released for Nintendo Switch on November 15, 2019, the pair formed the eighth generation of the main Pokémon role-playing series. The games were developed by Game Freak and set the player’s Gym Challenge across Galar, a fictional land inspired largely by the United Kingdom. Its towns, stadiums, industrial areas, countryside, and snowy northern mountains reflect that influence.

Sword and Shield also introduced Dynamax and Gigantamax, temporary battle transformations that make selected Pokémon enormous. The Wild Area offered a more open space with free camera movement, visible Pokémon, changing weather, and cooperative raid battles. These features helped the games adapt the traditional formula to Nintendo Switch hardware.

The titles are not identical: certain Pokémon, Gym Leaders, and encounters are exclusive to one version, so trading remains part of completing the collection. The games also sparked debate over the number of older Pokémon available at launch, a controversy often nicknamed “Dexit.” Their later Expansion Pass added the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra areas.