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Pokémon Fans Are Loving Sword And Shield’s DLC Reveal

Yesterday, the developer confirmed via a special Direct stream that two major DLC expansions for Pokémon Sword and Shield are in the works. Had this been any other triple-A title, confirmation of additional content would have been a wholly unsurprising affair, but for Pokémon, it's a monumental step indeed. Not in the franchise's 24-year history has an entry in the core RPG series ever received new features post-launch and many, including your's truly, couldn't be happier to see the studio finally catch up with the rest of the industry.

Pokémon Sword And Shield

Game Freak has pulled one blinder of a surprise out of the bag this week.

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Yesterday, the developer announced via a special Direct stream that two major DLC expansions for Pokémon Sword and Shield are in the works. Had this been any other triple-A title, confirmation of additional content would have been a wholly unsurprising affair, but for Pokémon, it’s a monumental step indeed. Not in the franchise’s 24-year history has an entry in the core RPG series ever received new features post-launch and many, including yours truly, couldn’t be happier to see the studio finally catch up with the rest of the industry.

Traditionally, each new generation of Pokémon games is followed 12 months later with a ‘side sequel’ or third game (e.g. Ultra Sun & Moon and Yellow Version) that keeps the base game largely intact while layering additional features not found in the originals on top. With the adoption of a DLC model, however, Pokéfans now no longer need to restart their adventure anytime a mid-gen upgrade arrives, but simply continue where they left off.

Whether you prefer the old way or the new largely comes down to personal preference, of course, though it seems, right now at least, that the majority are in favor of the latter. Check out some early reactions from fans below:

https://twitter.com/Hikarifan25/status/1215286224841129984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1215286224841129984&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fgaming%2F2020%2F01%2F10%2Fpokemon-fans-loving-new-dlc%2F

Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s first expansion, The Isle of Armor, is due to arrive in June, with the second, Crown Tundra, scheduled to follow in the fall. Those that missed all the major talking points can head over here for to watch yesterday’s trailer or, alternatively, check out a number of the new Pokémon revealed to be inhabiting these new mysterious new areas. Enjoy!