Here’s how to hatch an egg in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Breeding Pokemon is a huge part of the competitive Pokemon experience. Here’s how to hatch a Pokemon from an egg in Sword and Shield.

Pokemon has always used the same mechanics when it comes to hatching eggs. Much like the Safari Zone, while it’s implied that hatching eggs is a matter of time, the actual factor in hatching your eggs is distance traveled. Each egg has a certain number of steps that need to be walked by the trainer with the Pokemon in the party. After walking that number of steps, the egg will hatch.

But what are the exact details surrounding this? And what are the best locations to hatch an egg in Pokemon Sword and Shield? Here’s what you need to know.

How to get the strongest Pokémon in Sword & Shield

Can you get eggs in Pokemon Sword and Shield?

Players can get eggs in Pokemon Sword and Shield by putting two compatible Pokemon into a daycare center.

A male and female Pokemon of the same species or different compatible species will result in an egg being produced. These are given by the women standing in front of the daycare center. Players can tell if an egg is available if the woman has her arms crossed and hand to her face, as though she is thinking.

As ever, breeding Pokemon is a major part of the competitive Pokemon experience.

How to hatch an egg in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Pokemon Sword and Shield players can hatch an egg by keeping it in their party and walking with it for a period of time.

The dynamics of egg hatching are largely the same in Pokemon Sword and Shield as in past Pokemon titles. Players just need to keep the egg they want to hatch in their parties and move around, whether that’s on foot or on a bike. The distance traveled varies between different Pokemon species.

How long does it take to hatch an egg in Pokemon Sword and Shield?

Players can hatch an egg in Pokemon Sword and Shield in anywhere from one to five minutes.

Each Pokemon species has a certain number of steps required for its eggs to hatch. Players can hatch their Pokemon eggs most efficiently by biking around in front of the Daycare Center.

The number of steps varies wildly from species to species. Magikarp hatches in just 1,280 steps, starters such as Grookey hatch in 5,120 steps, and pseudo-legendaries like Larvitar hatch in 10,240. This moves quicker than it sounds, but even those who feel impatient can cut hatching time in half by keeping a Pokemon with the Flame Body ability in their party.

There are a number of options available for this in Pokemon Sword and Shield, but the easiest to come by are the Chandelure and Coalossal evolutionary lines. Though there are a few choices, both these Pokemon have Flame Body as a regular non-hidden ability. Any Pokemon caught from these lines in the wild can have the ability. They are also available in the base version of Pokemon Sword and Shield, rather than being gated by DLC, Pokemon HOME, or trading.