In the build-up toNintendo’s E3 Direct presentationwhere it is expected to give an extensive look atAnimal Crossing,Fire Emblem: Three Houses,Luigi’s Mansion 3, andPokemon SwordandShield,trainer customization for the gen 8 Switch-exclusive has been confirmed thanks to a T-shirt contest. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering that every core RPG has had it sincePokemon XandY, but it’s still nice to see the fan-favorite feature appearing in the next gen.
The aforementioned T-shirt contest comes from Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer, and retailer Uniqlo, and this year’s theme was designing Pokemon-inspired T-shirts. Li Wen Pei’s design, dubbed “Ocean King,” won, and it depicts three Magikarps below a Gyarados in Totem style. Shortly after this shirt was declared a winner, it was revealed that it would also be added toPokemon SwordandShieldas custom clothing for the protagonist Avatar.
This means the “Ocean King” T-shirt can be purchased (with real money) through Uniqlo as a real shirt and inPokemon SwordandShield(with in-game currency), presumably when it launches later this year. The second-place shirt was based on a vision exam and hid Unown in the various symbols. The third-place shirt was a Pikachu on vacation sitting beneath an Alolan Exeggcutor.
With the contest officially confirming trainer customization, it seems likely that there will be a decent number of possible choices present inPokemon SwordandShield. More on this may very well be confirmed at the forthcoming E3 event, but many are also likely looking forward to the real, notfake,SwordandShieldstarter evolutionshopefully being revealed or at least some new Pokemon as well.
All things considered, there is one major announcement that seems likely to come at E3, and that’s thePokemon SwordandShieldrelease date. The game is set to release some time in the fall of 2019, so an announcement in June gives players less than a 6-month time frame to prepare for the title.
Pokemon SwordandShieldare both currently in development, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
