The next expansion pass for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will be here soon. In an announcement video today, Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company, stated the pass will be available on October 22, 2020. He also mentioned, “Starting on November 6, Trainers will have the opportunity to purchase bundle packs consisting of the Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield base game as well as that game’s corresponding Expansion Pass, which includes The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra.”
Several other announcements were made during the video presentation, including an update to Pokémon GO. The popular mobile game will finally get Pokémon Home integration by the end of 2020, which will allow for easier transfers of Pokémon from your mobile phone to Sword and Shield. Unfortunately, you will not be able to transfer to GO, only from it.
Ishihara unveiled many other new game features, bonuses, and more. Here is a list we received from The Pokémon Company via press release:
Newly Discovered Pokémon
Galarian Slowking
Category: Hexpert Pokémon
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 175.3 lbs.
Type: Poison/Psychic
Ability: Curious Medicine
A Shellder bite set off a reaction between the chemicals secreted by Galarian Slowpoke’s brain and the spices inside its body, causing Slowpoke to gain the Poison type as it evolved into Galarian Slowking. Galarian Slowking have been observed uttering incantations in order to communicate with each other and appear to chant mysterious spells when using moves in battle. Galarian Slowking’s Ability, Curious Medicine, is a new Ability introduced in The Crown Tundra.
Gigantamax Melmetal
Height: 82’+
Weight: ????.? lbs.
Type: Steel
Ability: Iron Fist
While Gigantamaxed, the Mythical Pokémon Melmetal can use its flexible and elastic liquid-metal body to land punches even when opponents keep their distance. Steel-type attacks used by Gigantamax Melmetal will change to G-Max Meltdown, a powerful move that slams opponents with shock waves and swirling liquid metal. This move doesn’t only deal damage to opponents—it also prevents them from using the same move consecutively.
Dynamax Adventures
In Dynamax Adventures, players will team up with three other Trainers to explore a Pokémon Den where Dynamax Pokémon are said to lurk. Instead of their regular Pokémon team, players and their fellow Trainers will choose Pokémon that they can temporarily use for battle (rental Pokémon) to bring along into the depths of the den. Players will have to work together with their three teammates in a Max Raid Battle whenever they encounter a wild Dynamax Pokémon during their exploration. If they win the battle, players will have the opportunity to catch the Pokémon, and one Trainer on the team can swap the newly caught Pokémon for the Pokémon they had before. Trainers can delve even deeper into the den with Endless Dynamax Adventures, which enable the player to continue until they lose a battle.
Legendary Pokémon
With The Crown Tundra, Trainers will be able to encounter every Legendary Pokémon that’s appeared in the main series of Pokémon video games. Players can find—and catch—Legendary Pokémon during their travels in the Crown Tundra or while they’re on Dynamax Adventures.[3]
Special Event with Pikachu
To celebrate the launch of The Crown Tundra, there will be a special in-game event for players to receive eight different Pikachu for their teams. Beginning Tuesday, September 29, and up through Friday, October 30, Trainers can find special passwords in various places including the Play Pokémon Twitter feed, and the Pokémon Trainer Club e-mail newsletter. When Trainers enter the passwords into their Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield game, they can obtain Pikachu—and not just one but eight, each donning a different cap.[4] For more information about this in-game event, please visit Pokemon.com/PikachuDistributions.
For more information about the Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass and the Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass, please visit Pokemon.com/SwordShieldEX.
Connectivity between Pokémon GO and Pokémon HOME
In addition to news about The Crown Tundra, The Pokémon Company also announced that connectivity between Pokémon GO and Pokémon HOME will be available by the end of the year. This will allow Trainers to send Pokémon they’ve caught in Pokémon GO to Pokémon HOME. From there, some of these Pokémon can be brought into Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield.[5] For more information about Pokémon HOME, please visit http://pokemon.com/home.
VIDEO
If you missed the video presentation, feel free to watch it below.
What did you think of all these announcements? Let us know in the comments or chat about them with us in our Discord.
[Source: Press Release via The Pokémon Company]
Steve is the Senior Editor of NintendoFuse and co-host of the NintendoFuse Podcast. He’s been a Nintendo gamer since age 6 and has been on staff with NintendoFuse since 2008.