List of generation VIII Pokémon
The eighth generation (Generation VIII) of the "Pokémon" franchise features 96 fictional species of creatures introduced to the core video game series, including 89 in the 2019 Nintendo Switch games "Pokémon Sword" and "Shield" as of version 1.3.0 with 7 further species introduced in the 2022 Nintendo Switch game "". The starter Pokémon were the first Pokémon of the generation to be revealed on February 27, 2019. A major change in the eighth generation compared to previous ones is that Pokémon and forms are introduced via game patches instead of exclusively through new games. Design and  development. Development of "Pokémon Sword" and "Shield" began in 2016, immediately following the development period of "Pokémon Sun" and "Moon". The conceptual phase lasted approximately a year, and the debugging process continued into 2019. With the Galar region based on Great Britain, some of the native Pokémon draw inspiration from British fauna, folklore, and mythology. The legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta are wolf-like creatures, drawing inspiration from wolves that frequently appear in British mythology. The design of the starter Pokémon revolved around the area in which they would be encountered by the player character. "Pokémon Legends: Arceus" introduces the  Hisui Region, the ancient lands of what would come to be known as the Sinnoh Region, based on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Like the previous generation, redesigned versions of previously released Pokémon ("Galarian Forms" and "Hisuian Forms") were included alongside brand new creatures. For the first time, new Pokémon and forms have been added to the generation through game patches (rather than through new game releases). On January 9, 2020 with Sword and Shield patch 1.1.0, Galarian Slowpoke was added to the game. Further patches added other new species, including legendary and mythical Pokémon Kubfu, Urshifu, and Zarude in  June 2020 and Regieleki, Regidrago, Glastrier, Spectrier, and Calyrex in October 2020.