Will Pokemon HOME update expand rosters of BDSP, Legends Arceus?

Steven Rondina Published 12/05/2022

Pokemon HOME is set to launch its 2.0.0 update which will finally allow players to transfer Pokemon between Legends Arceus, Shining Pearl, Brilliant Diamond, Sword, and Shield. To celebrate the occasion, some new rewards will be on offer.

Data miners have been picking up hints of what the Pokemon HOME update would look like and how it would play out across the Pokemon titles released after Sword and Shield. Despite leaks, The Pokemon Company has stayed quiet on the matter until now. On its official website, The Pokemon Company discussed the update and spelled out what it means for players.

“Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, Pokémon Shining Pearl, Pokémon Sword, and Pokémon Shield will be mutually compatible with Pokémon HOME, and you will be able to deposit and withdraw Pokémon to and from each of these games,” the statement reads.

Players will be able to freely move Pokemon between all gen-eight titles. This means an Eevee caught in Pokemon Legends: Arceus can be transferred to Sword and Brilliant Diamond, then back to Legends: Arceus. This will also allow players to import Pokemon from past generations into HOME, then transfer them into all three gen-eight titles.

Will new Pokemon be added to Sword and Shield, BDSP, and Legends: Arceus?

Unfortunately, this Pokemon HOME update will not result in more Pokemon being added to Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, or Legends: Arceus.

While the first seven Pokemon generations afforded players access to every Pokemon released to that point, things changed with Sword and Shield. The games had just 400 of the more than 800 known Pokemon species to that point. Many more would be added to the game through the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLC, but even today, Sword and Shield don’t have close to 905 Pokemon species.

From there, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl became even more insular. Instead of being a proper remake like HeartGold, Soul Silver, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire, BDSP tried to emulate the original Pokemon games. This included limiting the Pokedex to the first four Pokemon generations. Finally, Pokemon Legends: Arceus had its own roster that was mostly built around Sinnoh, but cherrypicked some other Pokemon from different regions.

Though some were hoping that Pokemon Home would allow Pokemon Sword and Shield to finally bring together every Pokemon from every generation, that’s not going to be the case. One can only hope Scarlet and Violet end up filling that niche.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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