Skip to main content

Pokemon Sword and Shield The Isle of Armor expansion launches June 17

 

The upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion will be available in just a couple of weeks, then followed by another one this fall, the Pokémon Company said on Tuesday.

Recommended Videos

The first Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion, The Isle of Armor, will be available on June 17. The second expansion, The Crown Tundra, will launch this fall. Together, they make up the two parts of the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass.

The DLC is set in a newly accessible part of the Galar region called Isle of Armor. In a statement, The Pokémon Company said the region will place players into new kinds of environments, including beaches and sand dunes, and will feature a new dojo for developing new skills that’s helmed by a master named Mustard.

The dojo will have a recycling function called Cram-o-matic. When players feed the Cram-o-matic four different items, it’ll spit out a new, combined item they can use across the region. The Pokémon Company said the Cram-o-matic will produce everything from newly envisioned Poké Balls to PP Ups.

The expansion will feature several new Pokémon, including a hermit crab called Galarian Slowbro, the Gigantamax Venusaur, and the Gigantamax Blastoise, among others.

The Isle of Armor will also offer several new “adventuring features,” including tutor moves that will allow you to teach your Pokémon new skills in return for a new substance called Armorite Ore, which you’ll find in Max Raid Battles. The game will also deliver a fire-type move called Burning Jealousy that damages every opposing Pokémon in a battle.

One other tidbit: The Isle of Armor will have a new dish called Max Soup that, if consumed, will allow any Pokémon to become “capable of Gigantamaxing.”

As its name suggests, The Crown Tundra will take place in a “snow-swept realm” featuring winter mountains. Players will need to explore the region and delve into Pokemon dens found inside Max Raid Battles. Like The Isle of ArmorThe Crown Tundra will feature new characters and moves.

The upcoming expansion pass is available in Nintendo’s eShop for $30. It’ll give you access to both The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra.

Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger is a freelance technology, video game, and entertainment journalist. He has been writing about the world of…
Where to find the cartographer in Emerald Stair in Avowed
Environmental shot of Galawains Tusks Slumbering Fields in Avowed.

You will probably have a good grip on all the tips and tricks needed to beat Avowed by the time you reach the second zone, Emerald Stair. However, no matter how many abilities you have or how good your gear is, finding a missing person with just a vague hint never gets any easier. We already helped Sanza find a missing cartographer in Dawntrail, but he has lost another in Emerald Stair and needs us to track them down. Like last time, the Avowed won't tell you where to go so we explored the entire region to show you exactly where to track them down.
Where to find the cartographer in Emerald Stair

The first cartographer quest at least gave you the general direction to find them, but this time we are only given the name of the area within Emerald Stair. The area in question is called Naku Tedek and is the isolated island on the south end of the map.

Read more
3 PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (March 14-16)
The PC version of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut.

The beginning of March was light in upcoming PS5 games, but the long-delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows is right around the corner. But we still have an entire weekend to fill before it comes out, which is where your PlayStation Plus subscription pays off. The Essential games for March were incredibly strong, but the back catalogue of Extra and Premium games has the perfect selection to get you excited for all the biggest upcoming video games, like Death Stranding 2. Or, it could be the perfect way to find a fun, bite-sized game to hold you over until next week's releases hit and dominate your time. As always, I have hand-selected only the best games in PlayStation Plus for you to play this weekend.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut - Announcement Trailer | PS5, PS4

Even before Shadows was announced, Ghost of Tsushima was touted as being the Japanese AC game that Ubisoft should have made years ago. While that is a reductive way to frame it, there's no denying there are similarities, and the two will be directly compared. Whether you plan on playing Shadows or not, Ghost is a magnificent game that still boasts some of the best graphics on PS5. Exploring the vibrant island of Tsushima as you follow the wind and animals rather than waypoints gives you a deep appreciation for the world you're fighting for. If you missed out on the Director's Cut content, jumping back in for the Iki Island DLC is perhaps the best part of the experience.

Read more
3 Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (March 14-16)
Assassin's Creed Odyssey review

Game Pass serves many functions as a service. Some use it to play the best Xbox Series X games on release, others lean on it between games, and everything in between. One of our favorite ways to take advantage of the massive Game Pass catalog is in preparation for upcoming Xbox Series X games. Whether it be playing previous games in a series to get caught up, or games in a similar genre to get in the mood, Game Pass has what you're looking for. We have our eye on Assassin's Creed Shadows next week just like you, but what about this weekend? Here are the best Xbox Game Pass games to boot up over the break.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Launch Trailer | Ubisoft [NA]

All the best Assassin's Creed games are on Game Pass, but we feel Odyssey is the best of them since transitioning into RPGs. Historically, this is the earliest game in the timeline, though that doesn't matter much since there are only loose threads connecting the games at this point. What does matter is how vast and enjoyable a world this is to explore. It isn't quite as bloated as Valhalla and will get you back into the groove of parkouring, stealthing, and fighting all over again. The story here is also one of the best in the series if you have the time to go all the way with it. But even just dabbling in it so you don't get burned out before Shadows is a great way to prepare yourself.

Read more