SwSh Gyms Speculation Thread

[NotAPassenger]

They just confirmed that some gyms can't be battled in either game and are just there for lore purposes.

And there lies the Dark type gym....

 

[TheElderKing]

I do wonder how such a blunder would happen. I mean, considering how strange for the franchise would be to have 18 gyms, I’d try to be completely sure they meant what I thought they said.

GF/TPC should clarify the situation on the games’ official site. Even without going into full details on the gym leader, it’s not hard to explain how the system works.

 

[Myth]

Well, to be honest, all Ohmori said was that we would have "18 gyms in the story". Everything else was just the way the community interpreted it.

It's like if one hypothetical BW pre-release season they had said "there will be 11 gym leaders in the story". (the difference is that it was said 18 gyms for SwSh, not 18 gym leaders).

I believe the number isn't wrong. I think they just wanted to "correct" the interpretation of the community. Milo and Nessa weren't presented as exclusive gym leaders. And even if all the other 6 of each game were exclusive, it would still be missing 4 to complete 18. That means we can still have more than 8 gyms per game, unless the number is wrong (which I find unlikely).

So, we will probably still have a dark gym.

 

[chickenperson52]

Per the podcast GameInformer posted, it seems that what was meant was "out of the 18 possible types of gyms, sword and shield will have different types in their 8 gyms."

 

[Scruffyjay]

oh...that's disappointing

 

[Emmy]

So it's likely we're just doing the same ol' 8 Gyms as usual then? Shame on us for expecting GF to go the extra mile I guess.

Man, SW&SH has been one PR blunder after the next.

 

[zoroarctic]

Meh, 18 gyms felt excessive anyway.

 

[TheElderKing]

Per the podcast GameInformer posted, it seems that what was meant was "out of the 18 possible types of gyms, sword and shield will have different types in their 8 gyms."

So it’ll basically be, 8 gyms per game, with some version exclusive? What about the minor league issue?

 

[TheElderKing]

Ok, I watched the part of the podcast about the issue, and of the transcript they read, Ohmore prefaced by saying that in the background of the region, or something around those words, before talking about the major and minor leagues. Meaning, he was talking, as far as I can understand, about simpmt
Something related to the lore, without saying that there are 18 gym leaders we could encounter in the game.

 

[dvor]

oof

 

[multiingbe]

Hmm!! At least that does not discount that members of the minor Gyms can be encountered and probably battled?

Hopefully there will be Gym rematches!

 

[TheElderKing]

oof
View attachment 125983

Was this added to the main site?

In any case, it fits with what the transcript of their interview actually said. It was quite clear that it was something about the background. I think more of the blame is on GI, as if they added the full quote, or asked for clarification from Ohmori, this chaos wouldn't have happened.

Even though it seems like a huge tease from GF, I can't completely fault them for wanting to add lore explanations on the gym exclusives in Sword and Shield.

 

[Kallyle]

oof
View attachment 125983

So, we won’t even get to see them as side content. That’s a bigger tease than what ORAS did in regards to the absent Battle Frontier.

C’mon Game Freak, would it really hurt you to give us just a little bit more content?

 

[TheElderKing]

So, we won’t even get to see them as side content. That’s a bigger tease than what ORAS did in regards to the absent Battle Frontier.

C’mon Game Freak, would it really hurt you to give us just a little bit more content?

The games could still be full packed of content, even post game actitivies (wouldn't bet on it, but it's still possible). And as I said, while it's a tease, it's mainly a lore explanation on the version exclusive leaders, as well as fitting the theme of the games. The gym leaders aren't safe in their spotlight as 'main' gym leaders.

My problem is that they could've communicated this better in their own words, without leading to this issue, but Game Informer is more to blame. The quote in the coverage is cut and implies that the whole 18 leaders will be faced in some way, while the full transcript is more clear on the 18 leaders being something related to the background.

 

[Esserise]

Was this added to the main site?

In any case, it fits with what the transcript of their interview actually said. It was quite clear that it was something about the background. I think more of the blame is on GI, as if they added the full quote, or asked for clarification from Ohmori, this chaos wouldn't have happened.

Even though it seems like a huge tease from GF, I can't completely fault them for wanting to add lore explanations on the gym exclusives in Sword and Shield.

It's from the Game Informer site

I don't think it was really meant to tease anything. They're just putting a little more thought into how the setting works. Like, I dunno, with how there was some off-hand mention in Sun & Moon about what the people of Iki Town do if in one year they don't have any 11-year-olds ready to embark on the challenge, they host sumo contests instead. The Battle Frontier issue was quite different from this.

 

[Nicolas721]

So it's confirmed each game will have 8 gym leaders only. I think accounting for version exclusives both games will feature 10-12 gym leaders, with the remaining being found on a postgame facility or in a sequel/third version (I have the bad feeling is the later).

What I don't understand is why our character and Hop start already on the major league. Are they pulling an Ash Ketchum and have gone on a journey somewhere? It probably has something to do with the endorsement, but it feels kinda cheap.

 

[blitzle stan]

The fact that a minor league still exists makes it impossible to say that you don't battle any leaders in the minor league. I don't see why they would even establish a minor league at all if you end up never fighting anyone from it.

 

[Myth]

So it's confirmed each game will have 8 gym leaders only. I think accounting for version exclusives both games will feature 10-12 gym leaders, with the remaining being found on a postgame facility or in a sequel/third version (I have the bad feeling is the later).

What I don't understand is why our character and Hop start already on the major league. Are they pulling an Ash Ketchum and have gone on a journey somewhere? It probably has something to do with the endorsement, but it feels kinda cheap.

Maybe the league system aim to categorize the gym leaders only, to decide who uses the stadiums, since we can't see more than 7 on the map either way. Just my speculation though.

 

[TheElderKing]

It's from the Game Informer site

I don't think it was really meant to tease anything. They're just putting a little more thought into how the setting works. Like, I dunno, with how there was some off-hand mention in Sun & Moon about what the people of Iki Town do if in one year they don't have any 11-year-olds ready to embark on the challenge, they host sumo contests instead. The Battle Frontier issue was quite different from this.

I didn't mean it was intentional like the BF, just that it's obvious fans would yearn to fight both Major and Minor leagues. And I do agree that they wanted to add a bit more thought in the setting, which I appreciate.

The main issue is that in the coverage GI cut part of the quote. While speculation on fighting more then the traditional 8 would've risen either way, the full quote was clearly referencing information on the background side of the game and not the gameplay part.

 

[Emmy]

I would imagine it's likely that if we do battle these "Minor" Gym leaders then it'll be in the post-game. Much like in Sun/Moon where you fight either Kiawe or Mallow in the post-game depending on the version since you didn't battle them during their respective Island Challenges.