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It’s been a stretch since the last Direct broadcast from Nintendo, and this first broadcast of the year was dedicated to all things Pokémon. The roughly 20 minute feature went over a number of announcements, but the most pertinent to fans will be word that Pokémon Sword and Shield will be getting DLC in the form of an Expansion Pass. Let’s go over what can be expected from the additional content:
- Two Separate Packs: The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra
- Isle of Armor brings with it an island environment replete with sand, waves, bogs, and more. Trainers will take up an apprenticeship under Master Mustard, a former Galar Champion who helped mentor Leon. Within his dojo, players will be able to learn new training styles, as well.
- The Crown Tundra is a frosty region of Galar whose focus is on exploration. The player is anointed leader of an expedition group and will interact with the closely knit communities found throughout the area. Pokémon Dens will also be in abundance and fully explorable. This expansion will have a unique co-op play mode which will be detailed later on.
- 200 New Pokémon: This will be a mix of both returning and fresh-faced Pocket Monsters. While the ‘Mon will be part of the DLC packs, they can be obtained separately (and free of charge). Players can either trade with one another, or pull these incoming Pokémon from their own ranks using the Pokémon Home service.
- New clothing and items will come to both expansions.
The Isle of Armor drops in June of this year, while The Crown Tundra is set for fall. Each pack will sell for $29.99, with both Sword and Shield getting their own unique version of the expansions. These differences are virtually identical to those found between any two versions of a Pokémon game, with different characters and Pokémon to be discovered in each. This new DLC approach is ostensibly replacing the traditional third or revised game that Pokémon fans are accustomed to. That said, while it might seem to be a deviation from what’s come before, really this is just a new method of delivery.
Will you be picking up the Expansion Pass? Share with us in the comments and on social media!
Source: Pokémon Direct 01.09.20
