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Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Date, Details Announced

by Alex Fuller · June 4, 2020

The Pokémon Company has announced that the first part of Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s Expansion Pass will launch for Nintendo Switch on June 17, 2020. The Isle of Armor sees players heading to the eponymous island to go to a training dojo, where they will be given the legendary Pokémon Kubfu from the dojo’s master, Mustard. Through their training, players will be given permission to ascend the Towers of Two Fists. Players must choose which of the two challenges, the Tower of Darkness or the Tower of Waters, they wish to take on.

The company also revealed some new details about the expansion and its follow-up, The Crown Tundra, as well as revealing some new Pokémon and Gigantamax forms. The Isle of Armor will introduce Galarian Slowbro, Gigantamax Venusaur, and Gigantamax Blastoise. Meanwhile, new legendary Pokémon Urshifu will have exclusive moves, including a new ability that lets it strike Pokémon even if they use a move that negates damage as well as a move that always results in a critical hit.

The Isle of Armor will also include a device called a Cram-o-matic. Players can put four items into the Cram-o-matic, which will combine them and return a new item in exchange. New tutor moves will also be available, which can be learned by trading Armorite Ore found in Max Raid Battles as well as through other methods. Finally, a special new dish called Max Soup made with ingredients from the island will give certain Pokémon the power to Gigantamax that were not able to before.

Meanwhile, The Crown Tundra will take players to the titular snow-swept area, which is home to jagged mountains and small communities. Players will travel as part of an expedition after being appointed by a certain character, and be able to fully explore Pokémon Dens, which have only been briefly shown in Max Raid Battles so far in Sword and Shield. Two brand new legendary Pokémon will be found in this region — Regieleki, the Electron Pokémon, and Regidrago, the Dragon Orb Pokémon — while original legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres have been given Galarian forms.

The Crown Tundra will introduce a new character called Peony, who has brought his daughter with him in his quest to find out about the legendary Pokémon in the region. It will also feature the Galarian Star Tournament. Held in the city of Wyndon, the tournament will see players picking a teammate to take it on with. The Crown Tundra is expected to launch in the fall of 2020.

Finally, a Gigantamax Festival is currently running in Pokémon Sword and Shield until June 30, 2020. During the festival, multiple Gigantamax Pokémon will be available in Max Raid Battles:

Both games: Snorlax
Pokémon Sword only: Gengar, Kingler, Lapras, Garbodor, Corviknight, Appletun, Amped Form Toxtricity, Centiskorch, Grimmsnarl, Alcremie, and Duraludon
Pokémon Shield only: Charizard, Butterfree, Machamp, Orbeetle, Drednaw, Coalossal, Flapple, Sandaconda, Low Key Form Toxtricity, Hatterene, and Copperajah.