Following last month’s Luigi’s Mansion crossover event, Tetris 99’s next Maximus Cup is on the horizon with a new crossover partner: Pokémon Sword and Shield. This limited-time crossover will commemorate the release of Sword and Shield, which will release on the Switch on later this month. The event will run from Friday, November 8 to Tuesday, November 12.
[テト1カップ開催決定]『ポケットモンスター ソード・シールド』の特別テーマをゲット!『テトリス®99』第9回テト1カップは11月8日(金)より開催。https://t.co/xIgBCiXgBM pic.twitter.com/I10q3nyXeg
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) November 1, 2019
During the Maximus Cup, players who earn a certain number of points will unlock special Pokémon-themed features in the game, such as new match music and sound effects in the style of Pokémon games, a shot of the Galar region for the background, and various Pokémon sprites representing opponents onscreen, which will be captured within a Poké Ball when they are defeated. Players earn points by ranking highly in games after clearing Tetris puzzles more quickly than 99 other opponents in live time.
This is far from Tetris 99’s first crossover event, as past Maximus Cups featured other popular Nintendo titles like Splatoon 2, Super Kirby Clash, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. These Maximus Cups typically occur before the release of new games in these franchises to promote them to Nintendo players and fans. Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can access and play Tetris 99 for free, though it is also available for physical purchase with a 12-month subscription to Nintendo Switch Online bundled with it.
The hype for Sword and Shield is building steadily in the last few weeks before its release. Last week, Undertale creator Toby Fox announced his musical contribution to the games on Twitter, expressing his excitement to be able to work on the project. Other than that, The Pokémon Company hasn’t revealed too much more about the games, though they did announce Gigantamax forms for Gen 1 favorites Charizard, Meowth, Eevee, and Pikachu last month.
Pokémon Sword and Shield will launch on the Switch on November 15.