Nintendo is finally issuing refunds for the Pokémon Sword & Shield Expansion Pass, as fans have been purchasing the wrong one online. Game Freak has abandoned the idea of third entries and sequels for the mainline Pokémon games and will be expanding on them with DLC content from this point on.
The Isle of Armor expansion for Pokémon Sword & Shield is available now. In order to access the Isle of Armor content, the player needs to purchase the Expansion Pass on the Nintendo eShop or by using a digital code bought from an online store. Purchasing the Expansion Pass will also allow access to The Crown Tundra, which is the second DLC pack for Pokémon Sword & Shield that will be released this autumn. The DLC for Pokémon Sword & Shield has been causing problems, as people are buying the wrong Expansion Pass. There are two versions of the Expansion Pass available on the eShop and each is compatible with either Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield. If you buy the wrong Expansion Pass, then it won’t work.
The people who bought the wrong DLC on the eShop were originally out of luck, as Nintendo wasn’t issuing refunds for the Expansion Pass. It seems that mistaken purchases of the Expansion Pass are common enough that Nintendo has changed its policy, as the Nintendo of America Twitter account has announced that people can contact customer support if they bought the wrong Expansion Pass in order to receive a refund.
The best way to ensure that you’re purchasing the correct Expansion Pass is to do so through the game itself. It’s possible to visit the correct eShop page by going to the menu in either Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield and using the link at the bottom of the screen. The confusion has stemmed from people buying the Expansion Pass directly from the Nintendo eShop or buying the code from a third-party seller.
Fans have been preparing for the Expansion Pass for Pokémon Sword & Shield since it was first announced and the incorrect purchases caused no small amount of frustration on social media. It might have made more sense for Game Freak to release one Expansion Pass that was compatible with both games, or only allowing people to buy the Expansion Pass through the in-game link, but at least Nintendo is stepping up and allowing fans to correct their mistake without losing out on money.
