Pokemon Sword and Shield: Ranked Match Disconnects Could Now Get You Permanently Banned

Deliberate ranked match disconnects in Pokemon Sword and Shield could now get you permanently banned the online portion of the game. The Pokemon Company released a statement (translated via Google) on April 8 indicating that future disconnectors could be banned if it discovers the disconnect is deliberate, especially in instances where a player disconnects before the match is over to stop them from incurring a loss on their record. Based on the statement, it seems this is now in effect. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=25-most-wanted-pokemon-not-in-sword-and-shield&captions=true"] The statement explains that, after repeated disconnects from online battles, players will be excluded from any future ranked battles and competitions (live or online). It goes on to say that the company may go onto temporarily or permanently ban offenders too. "In the future," it concludes, "we will continue to monitor and continue to respond to malicious operations and inconveniences caused by intentional internet disconnections so that players can enjoy the game with peace of mind." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/20/every-new-pokemon-in-sword-and-shield"] Deliberate disconnects have been a problem in Pokemon Sword and Shield for months now. If you take a stroll through the Pokemon subreddit, you'll find players confused about this happening, and others upset that it's not been met with consequences. These players will hopefully soon not need to worry about deliberate disconnects any longer. How these bans will be determined or enacted is unknown at this time. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pokemon-sword-and-shield-legendaries&captions=true"] If you haven't yet read about Pokemon Sword and Shield's newest Pokemon, Zarude, now is the perfect time as new details about it were revealed recently. You can also read about Pokemon Home and how to trade Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield using Pokemon Home. And if you just want to smile, watch this adorable little girl win a major Pokemon championship in Australia. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.