Pokemon Sword & Shield player loses Master Ball due to Joy-Con drift
Game Freak / The Pokemon CompanyA Pokemon player was left fuming after they lost their coveted Master Ball due to the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con drift issue. The hardware error robbed the Trainer of the rare item.
Pokemon Sword & Shield made its eighth generation debut with the release of Sword & Shield in November 2019. The Nintendo Switch title introduced players to the Galar region for the very first time.
A player participating in one of the game’s new features, Dynamax Raids, was left stunned when their Joy-Con hardware error made them accidentally use a Master Ball on an incredibly common monster.
Game Freak / The Pokemon CompanyJoy-Con drift problem causes Pokemon tragedy
A few months after its launch, many Switch owners began to complain about their controller’s joystick getting stuck and moving their character in-game on its own. Notoriously named “Joy-Con drift”, Nintendo’s own president Shuntaro Furukawa even acknowledged the issue in June and apologized for the “trouble caused to our customers.”
The hardware issue tragically struck a Pokemon Sword & Shield player during their Dynamax Raid. Pokemon Trainer ‘ZucchiniBoi12‘ uploaded a video of the nightmare inducing moment to the r/PokemonSwordAndShield subreddit on November 30.
In the clip, the fan goes to select a Pokeball after defeating a Ninjask, when suddenly their controller quickly scrolls up and down before unluckily landing on their Master Ball. Unfortunately, the player wasn’t paying attention and pressed A, wasting their precious Master Ball on the common monster.
Despite the tragic circumstances, some in the community didn’t have any sympathy for the Trainer. Various players pointed out that while the Joy-Con drift did freak out during the selection process, it stopped for a few seconds on their Master Ball. Others explained that the fan should have soft-reset their game, which would have given them back their lost item.
Despite the criticism, ZucchiniBoi12 explained that it was a genuine mistake, and stated that they weren’t paying close enough attention before confirming. This isn’t the first time the hardware issue has plagued the game, either. In November, a player went viral after Joy-Con drift ruined their attempt to catch a Shiny Regieleki after spending hundreds of hours to spawn its encounter.
Whether you feel sympathy or not, it always hurts to see a Master Ball go to waste. If nothing else, the tragic story is just another reminder for Trainers to always check before pressing confirm. It becomes far too easy to not pay attention while spending hours grinding, and you never know when Joy-Con drift may happen.