Pokémon: Trading Card Game’s Newest Expansion Is Sword & Shield: Evolving Skies

The Pokémon Company has officially announced a new, upcoming expansion to the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Sword & Shield Evolving Skies.

Unlike the last two sets, Battle Styles and Chilling Reign, Evolving Skies doesn't seem to be based on any specific part of the Sword & Shield game. Instead, the focus is placed squarely on the Eevee family of Pokémon, with the fairy-type Sylveon and the dark-type Umbreon serving as two of its cover stars. The set will include Battle Style VMAX variants of the 'Eeveelutions', such as Rapid Strike Vaporeon VMAX and Single Strike Flareon VMAX, as well as normal VMAX cards like Leafeon, Espeon and Glaceon.

There is also an emphasis on Dragon types (the 'skies' bit of Evolving Skies), with Rayquaza, Noivern, Duraludon and Dragonite all getting either V or VMAX cards. This will be the first time the dragon typing has appeared in the Sword & Shield TCG, and dragon types will have no weaknesses or resistances to match their powerful nature within the games.

Sword & Shield: Evolving Skies is scheduled to launch on August 27, 2021, with pre-release Build & Battle Boxes being available starting August 14.