The Pokémon Company issued a notice for Pokémon Sword and Shield, revealing online functionality such as ranked battles and online tournaments will shut down starting November 1 (Thanks, Siliconera).
Players may still use Y-Comm features and hold Friendly Competitions, but ranked battles and online tournaments are a no-go in Pokémon Sword and Shield this November. However, Friendly Competitions will no longer appear in Pokémon Home. Updates will cease for the Pokémon Sword and Shield’s Wild Area News section as well.
Players may still participate in online Max Raid Battles together following November 1. The sunset of online support comes as players transition to the newest generation, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. It appears The Pokémon Company will likely cease most of Pokémon Sword and Shield’s online features by the end of 2023.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet launches November 18 for Nintendo Switch worldwide.