Pokemon Sword and Shield’s DLC expansions, Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, will feature level scaling, meaning Pokemon trainers of any level (who have reached the first Wild Area) can enjoy the new DLC content.
During our 30-minute hands-off preview of Pokemon Sword and Shield’s Isle of Armor DLC, we noticed that the first trainer battle were around level 60 – the same as the highest level Pokémon in the trainer’s party.
We asked Nintendo product marketing specialist Demetrius Boggs if this meant level scaling was in place, and he confirmed that Pokemon Sword and Shield’s Expansion Pass area’s trainers and wild Pokemon will in fact scale with your own Pokemon levels.
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/03/pokemon-sword-and-shield-isle-of-armor-and-crown-tundra-expansion-pass-trailer”]
Not only that, but these areas can be accessed as soon as you reach the Wild Area of Pokémon Sword and Shield, just a few hours into the games. So whether you’ve just started or have already completed every post-game activity and have a full party of level-100 Pokémon, both parts of the expansion pass–The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra–will match your Pokémon’s level.
As of now, we’re unsure whether the DLC areas will continue to scale with your level, or if the areas become locked to the level your Pokémon were when you first visit, but we will update this as soon as we hear back from the Pokémon Company.
Regardless, this is great news – anyone will be able to enjoy the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass at an appropriate level regardless of how high or low level their Pokémon are. (Though we can’t comment on how difficult or easy this content will be.)
[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=pokemon-sword-and-shield-isle-of-armor-screenshots&captions=true”]
The Isle of Armor expansion, which will be released on June 17, will send players to a tropical island and will allow them to make their way through a new Pokemon Battle Dojo. By training there with Master Mustard, all players will receive the new legendary Pokemon, Kubfu.
After players obtain Kubfu, they will be given a choice of either going to the Tower of Darkness or the Tower of Waters. Upon completion, Kubfu will evolve into Urshifu. If the Tower of Darkness was chosen, Urshifu will have the Single Strike style, and if the Tower of Waters is chosen, Urshifu will have the Rapid Strike Style.
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/13/pokemon-sword-and-pokemon-shield-review”]
The Crown Tundra expansion, which is set to be released in Fall 2020, will take place in a snowy, icy tundra with mountains and will feature a ton of Legendary Pokemon, including Galarian forms of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Casey DeFreitas is an editor at IGN. Talk Pokémon with her on Twitter at @ShinyCaseyD.
Source: IGN.com Pokemon Sword and Shield's DLC Expansion Has Level Scaling