Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Brilliant Diamond, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, Shining Pearl

Will Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Begin A New Pokémon TCG Era?

On November 12th, 2021, Nintendo, Game Freak, and The Pokémon Company will release the long-awaited Generation Four remakes: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Whatever your opinion is about the stylized artwork of the graphics, it is undeniable that Pokémon products and games across the board will begin producing tie-ins to these. We're already seeing it happen in Pokémon GO, with this summer's release of Shiny Dialga and Shiny Palkia. What many Pokémon TCG collectors are wondering, though, is if these games will bring about an early end for the current Sword & Shield block. Will we see this era of the TCG reach a premature conclusion in favorite of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl-branded sets? Let's take a look.

Eras of the Pokémon TCG generally run until a new generation is released… but not always. The major exception to that rule is the Diamond & Pearl block, which was cut short twice. The Diamond & Pearl block ended early, replaced by the Platinum block when the Platinum game, an enhanced version of Diamond & Pearl that consolidated the content into a single game, was released. Then, the Platinum block itself ended early after just four expansions when the Pokémon TCG, for the first time, released a whole new block based on a remake game: HeartGold & SoulSilver. That block ran for four sets.

Since then, we haven't seen these generational blocks cut short in the Pokémon TCG. Black & White ran for eleven full main series sets, XY for twelve, and Sun & Moon for twelve.

So far, we know that the Sword & Shield block will at least run through the end of 2021 with eight main series expansions, including:

• Sword & Shield
• Sword & Shield – Rebel Clash
• Sword & Shield – Darkness Ablaze
• Sword & Shield – Vivid Voltage
• Sword & Shield – Battle Styles
• Sword & Shield – Chilling Reign
• Sword & Shield – Evolving Skies (Releasing August 2021)
• Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike (Releasing November 2021)

There is reason to believe that we will not see the Pokémon TCG bring Sword & Shield to its end in 2021. Fusion Strike will see the main series debut of the V-UNION mechanic, which I doubt will run for a single set. Then, we have also seen a trademark filed by the Pokémon TCG for VMAX Climax. That could go both ways. It essentially confirms another post-Fusion Strike set… but it also alludes to the VMAX era ending potentially.

Personally, my guess would be that we'll see one more Galar-focused set in February 2022, but that we don't see the Sword & Shield era officially. I'd bet we'll see sets inspired by and named after these remake games, though, and potentially even one for the open-world Pokémon Legends: Arceus. So could we truly see sets called:

• Sword & Shield: Brilliant Diamond
• Sword & Shield: Shining Pearl
• Sword & Shield: Arceus

It's possible! Stay tuned for more info on this, because I'm as intrigued to find out as you are.

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