Make sure you don’t buy the wrong Pokémon Sword/Shield Expansion Pass

With the Isle of Armor DLC now only a day away, Pokémon fans are undoubtedly anxious to begin their next adventure in the Galar region. However, players should be careful not to buy the wrong version of the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass. Unfortunately, many have already made this mistake.

Traditionally, Pokémon games release in pairs, and the Isle of Armor Expansion Pass is no exception. However, this can lead to some confusion when navigating the Nintendo eShop. If fans are not careful, they could purchase the DLC for Shield when they only own Sword, and vice versa. If they do not have the corresponding game, then the Expansion Pass they purchased will be unplayable.

The Japanese Nintendo Support Twitter released a statement on this very issue on June 9. The tweet urges players to be careful when choosing their Pokémon Expansion Pass, lest they buy the wrong one. According to Nintendo’s support page, refunds will not be issued.

現在『ポケットモンスター シールド』をお持ちの方から、「ソードのエキスパンションパスを間違って購入してしまった」とのお問い合わせをいただいています。

エキスパンションパスは【ソード用】と【シールド用】に分かれています。購入の際はご注意ください。#ポケモン剣盾 #エキスパンションパス

— 任天堂サポート (@nintendo_cs) June 9, 2020

Avoiding the wrong Pokémon Expansion Pass

Fortunately, Pokémon Sword and Shield have a built-in option to make sure players don’t buy the wrong Expansion Pass. In the bottom-right corner of the menu screen, there is a button that will direct players to the eShop. Since players are navigating directly from the game, this option will always take them to the right DLC. Any fan who worries about messing up their purchase should use this in-game feature.

Interestingly, Nintendo warned fans about this potential slip-up when the DLC was first announced. The Japanese webpage notes that players cannot combine one game with the opposite game’s Expansion Pass. Fans must also be wary of purchasing unnecessary bundles. Players shouldn’t purchase a bundle that comes with the game and DLC unless they don’t already own the respective game. Otherwise, they will just pay again for a game they already have.

New areas, returning Pokémon, and more adventures await trainers when the Isle of Armor launches tomorrow. Hopefully, players won’t ruin such an exciting experience for themselves by purchasing the wrong Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass.