Pokemon Sword and Shield Won't Have HMs

Pokemon Sword and Shield have a lot of expectations to live up to, especially after Pokemon Sun and Moon blew us away. Fans have been critical about the first two official Switch games since they won't be having the National Pokedex, which is pretty annoying but isn't a big deal breaker like some are making it out to be. Well, there is one good thing about these two games; they won't have HMs.

Yup, just like Pokemon Sun and Moon before them, Game Freak will not be adding HMs to this installment. Speaking with Game Informer, director Kazumasa Iwao says they don't really fit the mold for Sword and Shield, especially since Sun and Moon didn't include them. Simply put, they were a product of their time and the fact that so many games after the Game Boy titles had them is a mystery.

"I think they played a role in the series traditionally to be like the relationship between a door and a key; the HM will unlock something and you're able to progress and feel the ability to go to a new place. We didn't have them in Sun and Moon, and this time around, we didn't feel it really matched the concept, especially with the Wild Area and wanting to have this higher degree of freedom. The player can kind of choose how they want to engage with the gameplay. Having the more HM-based elements, we didn't feel it really matched the game, so this time around they're not in it."

While most of us assumed that Sword and Shield wouldn't have them, acknowledging this is still a pretty smart move. Some fans would have assumed that they would be returning unless Game Freak said so. We probably won't see them again until the developers create a Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remake.

Pokemon Sword and Shield will be coming out on November 15.

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