What to know about Pokémon: Crown Tundra, the next Sword and Shield DLC

Pokémon Sword and Shield's Pokédex was considered to be lacking when it first released, but ongoing DLC is intent on changing that. The first DLC, Isle of Armor, brought more than 100 Pokémon back from Poké-purgatory. The Crown Tundra, which is set to release later this year, promises to add more Poké-friends and an all-new setting. Other additions might include long-forgotten Pokémon mechanics finally returning.

Here's everything we know so far about Pokémon Sword and Shield's upcoming DLC, The Crown Tundra.

When is the Pokémon: The Crown Tundra release date?

The Crown Tundra will be released for Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass owners on October 22, 2020.

Is there a Pokémon: The Crown Tundra trailer?

Yes! Watch it below.

In the trailer, we see the new Legendary, Calyrex, which is a Grass/Psychic-type Pokémon, and icy plains to explore. The exploring bug doesn't seem to stop at ice locales, the trailer also shows lush landscapes with light snowfall, exemplifying the level diversity in The Crown Tundra. This all falls in line with DLC's overall theme of "exploration." We also see four players synced up and running towards a light.

Sword and Shield's base game allows you to interact with ghosts in the overworld of other players to earn items. Crown Tundra is expected to allow players to explore Pokémon Dens; Perhaps this is our first look at that in action.

We can also see new and old Legendary Pokémon throughout the trailer, indicating this will be the DLC for you if your living dex is lacking almost any mascot.

The trailer ends with a glimpse at the Galar Star Tournament, a new mode where you can team up with your favorite allies from Sword and Shield for the most fan-fictiony battles imaginable.

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company also released a new trailer on September 29 as well.

In it, we get a closer look at gameplay elements and some of the new environments we'll see when thenew expansion is released.

What is the story in The Crown Tundra DLC?

In The Crown Tundra, you're taken to a snowy area filled with new characters. You'll meet a fellow named Peony, who has attempted to research the area for quite some time. He'll put you in charge of his operation as his expedition chief.

On your journey to explore the new domain, you'll encounter various Legendary Pokémon from past games. You'll also explore Pokémon Dens, taking you on co-op adventures. The previous DLC, Isle of Armor, suggested you might see Sonia appear in the Crown Tundra.

Late in Isle of Armor, you encounter, Hop. He's come to the island as Sonia's lab assistant to do some research. Hop offhandedly mentions that Sonia herself is currently exploring an icy tundra somewhere. We can only assume this is the Crown Tundra.

But, The Crown Tundra's narrative isn't just about the titular locale. After completing the story in The Crown Tundra, you'll partake in a tag-team tournament called Galarian Star. In the tourney, you'll interact with trainers from throughout Pokémon Sword and Shield, including both DLCs.

What Legendary Pokémon are returning in The Crown Tundra?

According to the expansion pass update video on September 29, all Legendary Pokémon that previously appeared in the main series will return in The Crown Tundra DLC. The presentation also featured a graphic showing every returning Legendary Pokémon.

You might notice some specific holdouts from this list like Manaphy, Shaymin, Darkrai, Genesect, Hoopa, Arceus, and more. That's due to a cultural difference. There are two classifications of rare Pokémon: Legendary and Mythical. For a long time, the latter term went unused outside of Japan. Western companies opted to label them as Legendary Pokémon as well.

It seems that now the Pokémon Company itself is making the distinction known internationally. All the "missing" Legendary Pokémon are Pokémon that are originally considered to be Mythical. These missing Pokémon still have a chance to be distributed at a later date.

What's version-exclusive in The Crown Tundra DLC?

According to the graphic shared, some Legendary Pokémon will be exclusive to either Sword or Shield. Each game will also feature exclusive trainers and Pokémon. Many of these differences can be solved using Pokémon Home's trading system or trading with others online.

Every leaked Pokémon returning in The Crown Tundra DLC

In the update that added Isle of Armor content, developer Game Freak also threw in some data for The Crown Tundra, which was them discovered by data-miners. One Twitter user discovered 119 new and returning Pokémon for The Crown Tundra DLC.

Regular Pokémon Additions

• Nidoran (F)
• Nidorina
• Nidoqueen
• Nidoran (M)
• Nidorino
• Nidoking
• Zubat
• Golbat
• Crobat
• Elekid
• Electabuzz
• Electivire
• Magby
• Magmar
• Magmortar
• Aron
• Lairon
• Aggron
• Swablu
• Altaria
• Absol
• Spheal
• Sealeo
• Walrein
• Relicanth
• Beldum
• Metang
• Metagross
• Gible
• Gabite
• Garchomp
• Cryogonal
• Amaura
• Aurorus

Is there a The Crown Tundra map leak?

Yes, in the same sprawling datamine that created our returning Pokémon list, we also got a fully realized outline of the Crown Tundra's map. It includes the flying waypoints that will be included in the final DLC along with normal waypoints. Altogether, this provides a fairly viable skeleton for what the final map could look like. You can see the full map here.

Is there a The Crown Tundra returning item leak?

Again, yes! In July 2020, during a later data-mine, a few new items were found to be entering Pokémon. Most notably is the addition of hidden ability capsules, which are set to be introduced in The Crown Tundra.

The basic ability capsule item is popular amongst serious Pokémon trainers. The item allows you to alter your Pokémon's ability, randomly changing it to another available ability for the Pokémon it's used on. Using these cuts down the time needed to make your perfect competitive Pokémon. You can currently claim ability capsules in Sword and Shield using the Battle Tower shop.

This new hidden ability capsule will likely give you access to altering your Pokémon's hidden ability. If you don't know, hidden abilities are abilities that certain Pokémon have in addition to their normal abilities. As the name implies, these are often hidden from the player.

Like with normal abilities, the addition of a capsule that can alter the hidden ability will shake up the competitive Pokémon playing landscape immensely. It'll be even easier to create the Pokémon perfect for your new team.

How much will The Crown Tundra DLC cost?

The Crown Tundra can only be purchased as part of the $29.99 Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass, which includes the Isle of Armor as well. If you only want to play Crown Tundra, you'll need to buy the full pass either way. There currently isn't a way to purchase either individually.

Pokemon Sword and Shield: The Crown Tundra will launch in fall 2020.