Pokemon SwordandPokemon Shieldtread in uncharted territory when it comes to their post-launch content structure. Sure, many games have adapted some form of DLC model to pad post-game activities and keep players engaged, but thePokemonfranchise has never done that before - until now.
With the Isle of Armor and upcoming Crown Tundra DLCs, as well as the possible and rumored future expansion(s) for the games,Pokemon SwordandPokemon Shieldare setting what could be a huge prescient for the future of thePokemongame franchise, which could mean less frequent installments and more additions to the games as they come out.
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The Current DLC Structure
As of right now,Pokemon SwordandPokemon Shieldhave two DLCs in place: The Isle of Armor, which debuted over the summer, and theupcoming Crown Tundra DLCslated for later this month. These were Game Freak’s first venture into DLC content for the franchise, and while the Crown Tundra has yet to make its debut, the Isle of Armor was generally well-received and went a fair way toward fixing some of the major complaints fans had with the baseSwordandShieldexperience. Over 100 Pokemon returned to the Galar region after being excluded from the base game through the Isle of Armor DLC, and even more Pokemon are on their way with The Crown Tundra.
The Crown Tundra is set to have every Legendary Pokemon from previous generations return through thenew Dynamax Adventure game mode, as well as a new story revolving around the mysteries of this snowy landscape. If done correctly, this DLC could add a ton of post-game content for fans to tackle through the Dynamax Adventure and the Galarian Star Tournament, patching a big complaint that the endgame was a bit lackluster. These smaller DLC packs added a fair amount of content for the price paid, but many fans believe that something bigger is still in store forSwordandShieldafter The Crown Tundra launches.
Beyond Sword and Shield’s Crown Tundra
The current big rumor spreading through thePokemonfanbase has players believing that after The Crown Tundra launches, Game Freak will be introducing a DLC that willsend players to the Kalos Region(ofPokemon XandPokemon Yfame), or at least have a significant Kalos tie-in. Geographically it would make sense, as Galar is based on Great Britain while Kalos is based on France. While most of the otherPokemonRegions are based on various areas of Japan (or New York in the case of Unova), Kalos presents the perfect tie-in opportunity for those fans who have been craving the ability to journey to a second region in-game. This rumored DLC is what will truly set the standard for thePokemonregion moving forward.
The scale of this DLC could be something comparable to the combination of both current DLCs and could introduce one large new area to explore. If players are returning to Kalos, which is pretty considerable in size, then Game Freak could charge a higher price and make it a large expansion rather than a small-sized DLC like Isle of Armor or Crown Tundra. Reintroducing Kalos could bring a lot of changes and new opportunities toSwordandShield. The issue with this method would be keeping game balance.
Players have had plenty of time to grind up Pokemon to Level 100, so unless encounter levels aggressively scale, then there won’t be much of a difficulty curve. The DLC could limit player Pokemon, perhapsgive them a new starterand send them on their way, but that would limit the ties the DLC has toSwordandShield. It’s a tricky situation to navigate that may not have one right answer.
However, there are some great possibilities if players were to venture to Kalos. First and foremost, it would be a great opportunity forSwordandShieldto add all the missing Pokemon from the game. The Crown Tundra DLC is addingmany returning Pokemon, though mostly Legendary Pokemon, but there will still be some missing after this DLC launches. Kalos did not have a restricted Pokedex (though not every Pokemon was obtainable without transfers), so this would be a great opportunity to finally flesh out the remaining Pokemon missing from the National Pokedex.
Another big question players have with the possible reintroduction of Kalos is if Mega Evolution will come back. Mega Evolution is a big part of the Kalos region, so it would take some changing of the narrative to exclude it from the DLC. If it is introduced, then Game Freak would have to decidehow Mega Evolution and Dynamax would work together. Regardless, it’s a big topic that will have to be addressed one way or another if Kalos is making a comeback.
What a Major DLC Means for the Pokemon Series
Whether the next Pokemon DLC is a return to Kalos or something entirely different, Game Freak is at an interesting turning point for thePokemonfranchise. If it calls it a wrap onSwordandShieldand start the next project, then the DLC was a fun experiment and may be featured again in future titles to allow for more development time on other games. However, if a major DLC is in the works, that could mean a big change for the release structure ofPokemongames going forward.
Major DLCs could keep aPokemontitle going for quite some time, allowing for more work to be done on the next game.Pokemongames could feature multiple regions, lots of new and returning Pokemon, and more that was previously unheard of in mostPokemontitles. It could also finally put the nail in the coffin of the trend of making “definitive” versions ofPokemongames a year later that only feature marginally more content.
A shift toward a more endgame-focused DLC could also help givePokemon SwordandPokemon Shield(or any futurePokemontitle) more endgame content to keep fans engaged for longer. It seems like that is the approach with Crown Tundra and the Dynamax Adventure, but we’ll have to see how that holds up.
Overall, post-launch DLC is a huge step away from anything Game Freak has done with thePokemonfranchise to date. The Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLCs served as small additions to the game, but if rumors are to be believed then something bigger may be on the horizon. Large-scale DLCs could bring a big change to the series. If Game Freak decides to adopt this development and release structure, it could be a brand new start for thePokemonfranchise - for the better.
Pokemon SwordandPokemon Shieldare available now for Nintendo Switch.
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