Happy Pokémon Day! In honor of the brand’s anniversary, Nintendo revealed during a Pokémon Direct livestream presentation earlier this morning that two new Pokémon RPG games will debut later this year on the Nintendo Switch.

The Pokémon team announced two new games, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, that will take fans to new worlds for all-new gaming adventures.

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are the latest exciting adventures in the Pokémon video game journey that began twenty-three years ago on this day,” Tsunekazu Ishihara, president of The Pokémon Company, says in a statement. “Since then, Trainers around the world have discovered new Pokémon, engaged in epic battles, and made countless memories along the way. We look forward to continuing this journey by exploring a stunning new region in the Pokémon universe when the games launch later this year on Nintendo Switch.”

These new games will introduce players to the new world of Galar, an expansive region with different environments — including the country, city, forest, and mountain terrain — for trainers to explore, develop the region’s industries, and train their Pokémon pals at local Gyms. Each player will be able to choose one of three new Pokémon characters to partner with and train — a grass-type chimp called Grookey, a rabbit-like Scorbunny, and a water lizard named Sobble. As the game continues, fans will have the opportunity to discover other brand-new Pokémon in their bid to train and battle Pokémon characters for victory.

During the livestream, the game developers from Nintendo and Game Freak Inc. gave fans a first look at the new world and journeys where players can explore the new Pokémon locales and train, discover, and battle the wild Pokémon characters roaming around.

Both Pokémon Shield and Pokémon Sword will be released simultaneously worldwide later this year.

Photos: Nintendo

About the author

Miranda Siwak

Miranda Siwak

Miranda Siwak is an assistant editor at Adventure Media & Events, where she writes for the Pop Insider and the Toy Insider, and also contributes to The Toy Book. When she’s not covering the latest news and trends, she can usually be found reading a good book, searching for her next DIY project, or keeping up with all of her favorite must-watch TV.

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