Crown Tundra DLC to release on 23rd October

[Doctor Oak]

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The second part of the Pokémon Sword & Shield season pass, The Crown Tundra, will be released towards the end of next month on the 23rd October.

As with the Isle of Armor expansion earlier in the year, this DLC pack adds a brand new area to the game, a few new features and some new Pokémon.

New Features

Dynamax Adventures

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Unlike the Max Raids introduced in the base Sword/Shield, this new co-operative mode sees you and up to three friends renting Pokémon to explore deep within a Pokémon Den. Throughout the branching paths of these dens you'll encounter multiple Dynamax Pokémon to battle and capture, with one trainer then being able to use that newly captured Pokémon in future battles.

The main form of these adventures will eventually see you reaching rare Legendary Pokémon that, if you can defeat them, can be caught. Every non-mythical Legendary Pokémon from every previous Pokémon Generation will be available for capture this way - though some will be 'exclusive' to Sword or Shield (depending on who initiates the Dynamax Adventure).

Endless Adventures will allow you to continue exploring and catching Dynamax Pokémon until you're eventually defeated.

Galarian Star Tournament

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Once you've completed the story content in Crown Tundra and, presumably the main story of Sword/Shield, you'll be able to participate in the new Galarian Star Tournament at Wyndon Stadium. Here you can partner with one of the many characters from your adventure throughout Galar, the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra in a 2vs2 all-star tournament. There'll be some unique dialogue available depending on who you choose as your partner and what kind of teams are formed between your opponents.

New Pokémon

As well as the previously covered Galarian forms of the Legendary Birds, Calyrex and the two new 'Regi' Pokémon Regieleki and Regidrago, the Crown Tundra expansion also includes the long-teased Galarian Slowking.

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.

Curious Medicine is a new Ability introduced in The Crown Tundra and resets all stat changes of its allies when entering the battlefield, including at the beginning of battle, neutralising abilities such as Intimidate.

Galarian Slowking's signature move, Eerie Spell is a Psychic type attack that reduces the PP of its opponent's last-used attack by 3 as well as causing damage.

New Items

Ability Patch

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A new item, the Ability Patch, will also be introduced with this expansion. This rare item will finally allow you to directly change any Pokémon's ability to its hidden ability - usually only available through specific capture methods or events. Along with the Max Soup introduced in Isle of Armor nature-changing Mints and Hyper Training, this makes it possible to take any Pokémon you catch or raise in-game and use them in a competitive setting without compromises, including your actual starter Pokémon.

Pokémon Home Update

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Also announced today is an update due before the end of 2020 for Pokémon Home that finally allows you to transfer your Pokémon Go collection across for use in Pokémon Sword/Shield and future supported games.

There'll be more details on exactly how this works closer to launch, but it seems that it may require some use of PokéCoins, so there might be additional costs involved as well as the Pokémon Home subscription. Special Pokémon such as Santa Hat Pikachu will also not be transferrable.

By connecting Pokémon Go and Pokémon Home, however, you'll receive a special Melmetal gift in Pokémon Home that can then be transferred into Pokémon Sword and Shield. This Melmetal has the ability to Gigantimax, and it seems that the current restriction on not being able to feed Max Soup to a Melmetal will remain, so this might be the only way to get your hands on a Gigantimax Melmetal for the time being.

Meanwhile, on Pokémon Go, you'll receive a Mystery Box gift that will allow you to catch Meltan in Pokémon Go for a short time, so if you've missed out on previous Meltan events, this is a perfect opportunity to get your hands on Meltan and Melmetal for your Sword/Shield Pokédex at last.

A new Ash's Pikachu distribution

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Throughout October you'll be able to get a series of Pikachu wearing Ash's different hats throughout the anime series in Pokémon Sword and Shield through limited-time Mystery Gift codes. These were originally given away for Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon but haven't been available for a few years now.

The first two of these are available now. Just input the following codes into the Mystery Gift option in the main menu of Sword/Shield:

More codes will be revealed throughout October and all must be redeemed before the 30th November. Each code can only be used once per save file and unlike Ash's actual Pikachu, these Pikachu cannot Gigantimax or be fed Max Soup to be able to.

When you receive these Pikachu, they'll be Level 25 with random IVs and natures and the ability Static.

And Finally...

One final announcement in today's news was a collaboration with Japanese band Bump of Chicken for a song and accompanying music video celebrating the 25 years of Pokémon games, which we've included below. Enjoy!

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[Red Gallade]

Honestly, I assumed that Galarian Slowking might've become a Psychic/Ghost type.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

It's certainly coming out earlier than I expected. I thought we'd be looking at a November release but it looks like the physical copies of the games+dlc will be saved for that time.

I don't like the notion that transferring Pokemon from Go to Home will come at a cost. With that being the case, the only reason I would bother would be to get the Gmax Melmetal and then never do it again.

What I do like is the fact that any Pokemon in the entire game is now competitively viable so long as you have the right items to make them so.

That video at the end there was a real kick in the feels. I'm not crying, you're crying!

 

[Mr.Munchlax]

I'm annoyed that transferring pokemon from Go might cost money, but as long as it's not something ridiculous like 100 coins for 1 pokemon I won't be that upset.

 

[RenzFlintrock]

Agreed, the music video was serious feels. It would have been even more nostalgic if I wasn't trying to split my attention between the beautiful animation and the english lyrics.

As to the Crown Tundra, I look forward to it. Assuming that I actually get to hang out with my friend with a switch, I'm gonna get a Gible, beat the game with it, and then to the Star Tournament I go. I love me a good doubles battle and I really want to see what the tournament will be like.

As a possible Slowking, I have to say the design looks pretty cool. The Shelder's eyes were a little offputting to me but I'll get used to them. And hopefully it will be as good in competitive battling as I'm thinking it will be. If so, I would totally use that thing.

 

[Scorbunny Fan]

Lol that screenshot with dragonite looks like it’s about to hug that trainer. Reminds me ok Ash’s dragonite. Still, pretty cool! I don’t have the DLC... YET. Maybe I will at some point! sword and shield is the best Pokémon game ever

 

[ThAtGuY101]

Rock path. Easy. Sudowoodo is there ,and I want my fake tree.

For obvious reasons... I'm really liking that slowking... Funnily enough, I wasn't expecting to see it so this was a surprise, but a welcomed one... I will try use it in the future. Maybe an RP or written work. Definitely a written work. Duh...

 

[StarFan13]

A. Ability Patch it's going have one of my pokemon's ability changed
B. Melmetal i'll have that pokemon soon because i'm working hard to get 400 Meltan candies on Pokemon Go
C.Galarian Slowking i have a second Galarian Slowpoke because my first Galarian Slowpoke evolved into Galarian Slowbro
D. Pikachu wearing Ash's different hats. im going with the parther cap
E. Dynamax Adventures i can rent a pokemon there
F. Galarian Star Tournament i'll be battling some Gym Leaders, Rivals, etc. it's be great
And Lastly G. Gotcha Good Song.