Game Freak announces Pokemon Sword and Shield expansion pass, which will replace the ‘third’ Pokemon edition

Your save data carries over, naturally

Welp, this is a nice surprise.

Game Freak announced today during their Pokemon Sword and Shield Direct that an “expansion pass” is coming for the duo of games. The studio says this will replace the “third” edition that the series sometimes employs (or in the case of at least one subseries, another pair of “enhanced” titles).

By way of a sizzle reel we got a look at a ton of new content, including new creature teases (and at least one legendary), new locations and more cosmetic options. “The Isle of Armor” and a winter-themed zone called “The Crown of Tundra” were also shown off. The former will be released in June 2020 and the latter will arrive in the fall of 2020. Each version will have its own expansion pass, which will cost $29.99 per pass: pre-purchase is available today with Pikachu and Eevee uniform bonuses.

The Isle of Armor will feature “Mustard,” a mentor for both you and the former champion Leon, who runs a dojo. Sword and Shield also offer different trainers (Poison Klara and Pycyhic Avery) for the new DLC area, similar to how the main game operates. There are also Tutor Moves, Apricorns can be made into Poke Balls, and Exp Charms can earn more experience for your team. The Crown Tundra will offer new co-op options, as well as legendary capture opportunities (see some teases in the gallery below).