Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass announced, bringing two new DLC packs and over 200 Pokémon

Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass
Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass (Image credit: Nintendo)

What you need to know

  • At the latest Pokémon Direct, Nintendo and Game Freak announced an expansion pass for Pokémon Sword and Shield.
  • The expansion pass includes two DLC packs, The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra.
  • These packs are set to release in later in June and in the fall, respectively.
  • The expansion pass is available for $30 USD on the Nintendo eShop.

At today's Pokémon Direct, Game Freak announced a Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass, forgoing the past tradition of a third game. This expansion pass includes two DLC packs, The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra. Together, the packs will add over 200 Pokémon to the game. You can check out the trailer for the expansion pass below.

The theme for The Isle of Armor is Growth, while the theme for The Crown Tundra is Exploration. Both packs add new locations, rivals, story missions and of course Pokémon. Both packs are available for both Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, though there will be some slight differences depending on your chosen game.

The expansion pass is available for preorder starting today for $30 USD. The Isle of Armor is set to release in June later this year, while The Crown Tundra is scheduled to arrive in the fall. Coinciding with the expansion pass going up for preorder, Galarian Slowpoke is being added in a software update for free.

Samuel Tolbert
Contributor

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance gaming writer who started working for iMore and its sister sites Windows Central and Android Central in July 2019. He handles news, previews, reviews, and exclusive original reporting, and has also been featured on TechRadar. With a background studying engineering before he shifted his focus to gaming journalism, he's skilled at identifying technical advantages and disadvantages provided by different hardware. If he’s not writing something, he’s off playing video games, spending time with his pets, exercising, or reading. He's also fond of trying to draw things with his iPad.