Pokemon Sword and Shield Will Have 18 Gyms In Total

Pokemon Gyms took some time off with Pokemon Sun and Moon, which instead had us taking on Alola’s Island Trials challenge, but in the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield, Gyms are coming back. And it looks like they’re coming back with a bang.

In the latest issue of Game Informer, it was confirmed that there would be a total of 18 Gyms across both, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. These 18 Gyms will be split across Major and Minor leagues. Depending on which version of the game you’re playing, which Gyms are appearing as Major league Gyms and which ones as Minor will vary, though some Gyms will also be exclusive to the version you’re playing.

It hasn’t been explained what the distinction between Major and Minor league Gyms is, but there are a few possible explanations. It’s possible that players would have to tackle a few Minor league Gyms before being able to take on the next Major one, or maybe Minor league Gyms are just optional challenges that you don’t have to undertake. Or maybe it’s something else entirely. Either way, it’s a lot of Gyms- it certainly explains the massive scope of the game’s production.

A lot of new information has emerged about Pokemon Sword and Shield over the last couple of days. HM Moves are – once again – not returning, while for the first time in the series, Sword and Shield will have an optional autosave function. A 24-hour livestream for the game also kicks off tomorrow, so we’re bound to get even more details very soon.

Pokemon Sword and Shield are out exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on November 15.