Pokémon Sword and Shield will get even bigger with all-new expansion pass

Pokémon Sword and Shield will offer new content for players to continue their adventures with an expansion pass, Game Freak announced today during a special Nintendo Direct. The expansions will release in two parts: The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, set for June 2020 and fall 2020, respectively. There will be two different versions of the expansion packs to reflect Sword and Shield.

Previously, Game Freak has released expanded versions of each region through games like Pokémon Platinum or Ultra Moon. Rather than starting a brand-new adventure, players will be able to continue their journey using their current save data. The first expansion, Isle of Armor, will introduce players to a training dojo and mentor, Mustard, as well as a new fighting-type pokémon called Kubfu. The Crown Tundra, meanwhile, will focus on exploration and include a new co-op mode. In addition to new areas to explore, characters, pokémon, outfits, and more, the expansions will also add new legendaries.

Both areas will appear in-game as “seamless maps,” much like the game’s Wild Area — though Game Freak promises both will be even bigger than that already huge space. More than 200 previously unavailable pokémon will be added to these new areas. Game Freak will also continue to release free updates, including one that will allow link trades and Pokémon Home integration.

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