If Pokémon Scarlet and Violet end up having DLC, then a look back at Sword and Shield could offer some ideas for the future. There's still no confirmation that the game will receive any DLC at all, but after Sword and Shield's two expansions, it's not unfair to assume. In fact, Scarlet and Violet could benefit greatly from a few post-release additions.
DLC has not been a common sight in the Pokémon franchise, with Sword and Shield being the first major examples in the main series. The twin expansions of The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra provided an impressive amount of extra content to the Galar region, making Sword and Shield the biggest games in the series thus far. With Scarlet and Violet's series-high story offering plot threads that could potentially be expanded with future content, the argument for the games receiving DLC is quite strong.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet DLC Could Provide New Storylines
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have some of the most effective storytelling of any game in the series to date. With a cast of several likable and interesting characters, it gave players a good driving force to see the game's various narratives through to the end. With three storylines as well as a postgame plot, Paldea already has more story than almost any other region. There are enough threads that could be picked up on to create interesting DLC plots even with everything that has already been done.
There are a decent amount of characters and storylines that would be worth following up on in an extended version of Scarlet and Violet's already-impressive postgame. For example, getting to see more of the Team Star leaders following their reformation could make for some solid worldbuilding. There are also characters such as Rika, who was one of the series' most underused Elite Four , especially considering that she can't be rematched, who could still provide more to the game.
Of course, one storyline that would be most worth following up on would be Area Zero and the time machine. It provided one of the biggest twists in Pokémon's long history, with the origin of Paradox Pokémon and the true identity of Professor Sada or Turo, depending on the version. A follow-up could bright plenty of possibilities. The player may be able to visit a past or future version of Paldea, or potentially even have a chance to save the original professor. Any chance to bring back Scarlet and Violet's professors would be a story worth playing.
After Sword and Shield offered the dojo storyline in Isle of Armor, it's possible that Scarlet and Violet could do something similar with its own expansions. It would not only provide more content for an already extensive game, but give players more time to spend with some of its best characters. If nothing else, Scarlet and Violet DLC would be worth it for this alone.
Scarlet & Violet DLC Could Expand Paldea's Map And Pokédex
One of the biggest perks of Sword and Shield's DLC was the addition of new areas to explore, complete with their own set of Pokémon to find. Following the initial controversy over Pokémon Sword and Shield's shortened Pokédex, Isle of Armor helped to smooth over some of the backlash by bring back a lot of old favorites. Scarlet and Violet could gain similar acclaim with the same move.
In addition to adding more Pokémon, giving players more locations to explore and things to do is another advantage that was provided by past DLCs. In addition to new landmarks and places to catch Pokémon, they also brought back old gimmicks like Apricorns, as well as new features like the Cram-O-Matic and Dynamax Adventures. Filling out the game world further is exactly what DLC should be doing, and Sword and Shield accomplished that. If Pokémon Scarlet and Violet receive DLC, the developers would be able to bring even more Pokémon into Generation 9 as well.
Between bringing back more of Pokémon's classic elements and adding more, Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra did a lot to prolong Sword and Shield's playability, especially where the expanded Pokédex was concerned. Scarlet and Violet would benefit from similar additions, especially with how the new open-world mechanics relate to exploring. Paldea is a fascinating region, and an expansion could open it up even more for players to explore.
Scarlet & Violet DLC Could Bring More Legendary Pokémon To Paldea
One of the biggest additions that Crown Tundra brought to Pokémon Sword and Shield was the new Dynamax Adventure side quests. In Dynamax Adventures, the player got to explore a set of caves in a quasi-roguelike fashion, fighting several Dynamax Pokémon. At the end of each adventure was one of the grandest prizes a player could find: A Legendary Pokémon. In a move that definitively made Crown Tundra better than Isle of Armor, its Dynamax Adventures granted players access to every previous Legendary in the series.
Galar's enormous roster of Legendaries was unprecedented, but well-implemented. The player had to perform a difficult task in order to unlock the chance to catch them in the first place, making it feel well-earned. After having a whole slew of Legendaries return last game, it would be disappointing in comparison if Paldea ended up not bringing back any. In fact, since Tera Raids are similar to Dynamax Raids, it's possible that a Tera Adventure could come out in DLC that could let players catch Tera versions of past Legendaries.
Legendaries remain one of the biggest rewards that a player can find in a Pokémon game, and giving players another chance to catch them all would be an incredible thing to include in an expansion for Scarlet and Violet. It's worth mentioning that Scarlet and Violet introduced Pokémon's most lovable Legendaries as well as the Ruinous Quartet, increasing the Legendary ranks even further. It would do well for a DLC release to bring back one of Pokémon's most fulfilling challenges.
Sword and Shield showed how significant DLC expansions could be a major perks for a Pokémon game. Even though the base game already has plenty for fans to look forward to, some new features can make the game even more enticing. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet can find some great DLC ideas just from looking at Galar.
Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube
