Game Freak Explains Why The Champion Is Appearing Earlier In Pokemon Sword And Shield

In Pokemon Sword and Shield, Leon, the League Champion of the Galar region, appears relatively early and more frequently in the story of Pokemon Sword and Shield.

In past games, League Champions appear later in the story and not as often as Leon. So why did Game Freak change things in Sword and Shield?

In a Game Informer interview, Shigeru Ohmori explains that they wanted to convey to players the ‘adventure’ aspect of the story. Here’s how he explained it:

What was the idea behind having regular interactions with the League Champion, Leon, from the earliest stages in the game?
Ohmori: One of the biggest reasons for having you interact with the champion and being shown the prowess of the champion so early is that Sword and Shield is a continuation of traditional RPGs like X and Y, Sun and Moon. So really conveying that aspect of you’re going to go on your journey, doing the gym battles, and there’s this really powerful champion you want to aspire to defeat. That was one of the aspects we wanted to convey, so we put the champion in the story much more.

Ohmori was also asked whether a Game Freak studio exists in Galar since Leon is endorsed by Game Freak in the game. Here’s what he has to say:

On Leon’s cape, he has all kinds of endorsements and advertisements. One of them was the Game Freak logo. Game Freak has a history of being in Pokémon games. Does that mean we’ll also be able to find the studio in Galar?
Ohmori: Good eye on you! [Laughs] I hope players will discover for themselves whether it’s there or not.

What do you think?