Is the Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass worth it?

June 2, 2020

With the first Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC fast approaching, fans are currently weighing up whether or not they plan to buy it. If you’ve been asking yourself: “Is the Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass worth it?” then this is the guide for you. Stick with us as we cover the Expansion Pass price and what’s included.

Is the Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass good value for money?

The introduction of an Expansion Pass is an exciting first for the long-running Pokemon franchise. Typically, rather than expanding on existing games with DLC, Nintendo would release expensive alternate versions. The pattern started with Pokemon Yellow way back when and may have concluded with the more recent Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon for 3DS. Arguably, this makes the Expansion Pass a great value proposition right off the bat.

ALSO: How to prepare for Pokemon Sword and Shield Isle of Armor DLC

At $29.99 for a bundle including both The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra expansions — both of which are new regions — the Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass could be an unprecedented value prospect. Obviously much of this will depend on how long each of the new adventures last, but it’s crazy to consider that retreads of existing regions have previously sold for $59.99.

In addition to new areas, the Sword and Shield Expansion Pass will introduce all-new and returning Pokemon. These are exclusively available to Expansion Pass owners, as are plenty of new characters, items, and more.

Perhaps the one catch is that the Pokemon Sword Expansion Pass and the Pokemon Shield Expansion Pass are two separate entities. This means that if you have both games and want to enjoy the new content in each of them, you’ll need to shell out $29.99 twice over.