With the ongoing outcry that not all Pokemon from the National Pokedex would be making it into Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, Game Freak stated this was due to the increased demand for creating new models and animations.

Despite claims that the models and animations appeared identical to those in 3DS games, Game Freak claim they have created new models from scratch.

Producer Junichi Masuda and director Shigeru Ohmori were interviewed Famitsu, where they discussed the game, the graphics, and past development.

Working on the Nintendo Switch had increased production in graphics and animation, since the models had to be remade from scratch- and that the Dynamax model for each Pokemon was also new (as oppose to the normal model scaled up). The Pokemon series now has over 1,000 different species (including “form changes”). This has resulted in balancing new Pokemon with new abilities being “very hard.”

This was part of the reason to prevent all Pokemon coming to the new game, a decision Masuda says would have happened sooner or later. Bringing every Pokemon across in Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon was difficult. They hope the models made in Sword and Shield can be used in future titles.

Ohmori states that the Wild Areas and story will have a lot of content to compensate for not being able to transfer certain Pokemon across. However, adding Pokemon in future updates is uncertain. Game Freak also plans for Pokemon unavailable in Sword and Shield to return in future titles via Pokemon Home, and for some form of game within Home. Masuda also stated Pokemon Home was designed to feel like home, with each title Pokemon can transfer to feeling like a trip. They also did not wish for the player’s past adventures to feel wasted.

In case you missed it, you can find our thorough hands-on preview for Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield from this year’s E3 here.

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are both launching on November 15th, for Nintendo Switch. What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!

Editor’s Note: The title was not reflective of the contents of the article, giving the wrong idea of what Game Freak actually said in our translation. This has been updated for accuracy.