Pokémon Sword and Shield are unlikely to receive any new DLC content in the future. The Pokémon Company abandoned the idea of releasing a third game in each mainline generation after Pokémon Platinum, but it revived the concept with the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass.
The Expansion Pass for Pokémon Sword and Shield added two new areas to the Galar region: the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra. The Galar region is based on England, while The Isle of Armor is based on the Isle of Man, and The Crown Tundra is based on Scotland. This led to speculation that another Expansion Pass for Pokémon Sword and Shield would be released, adding areas based on Ireland and Wales.
It’s looking increasingly likely that there won’t be any more DLC for Pokémon Sword and Shield. The Galarian Star Tournament from The Crown Tundra was the perfect endpoint for the story, with the best trainers of the region gathering for one last epic battle, and it seems that’s where players will end their Galarian journey.
Pokémon Sword & Shield Third DLC Leaks Were Wrong
At the end of 2020, supposed leaks said a second Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass was on the way. It would allegedly contain two new areas: the Cinder Citadel, based on Wales, and the Scepter Sea, based on Ireland. The rumors claimed The Cinder Citadel would launch on Pokémon Day. Pokémon Day came and went, with a Pokémon Presents livestream full of announcements for other Pokémon projects, but there was no sign of any new Pokémon Sword and Shield DLC.
The Pokémon Company Has Moved On From Sword & Shield
The company announced remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, coming to Nintendo Switch this year, as well as an open-world Pokémon game for 2022, called Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If more DLC for Pokémon Sword and Shield was on the way, it would have made a lot of sense to announce it during the Pokémon Day celebrations and release it before Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. The Pokémon Company has never gone back to older games after a new set has been released, so it’s unlikely that more DLC for Pokémon Sword and Shield will ever come, with these new games on the way.
The DLC for Pokémon Sword and Shield had some interesting ideas, and it was a great way to keep fans interested in the Galar region after launch, especially following the polarizing reception to the games. Rather than a third Sword and Shield DLC, it seems far more likely that The Pokémon Company is working on the next generation of Pokémon games and that the story of Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s Galar region has come to a close.
