Although Nintendo has officially announced DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the question now steers to if it is currently worth the cost. The Gen 9 games saw substantial financial success, along with the warm welcome of changes like being an open-world game and having multiple story paths. However, the game also had a rocky launch filled with bugs, technical issues, and performance issues that have yet to be fixed. Though the pure numbers bode well for the franchise, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's condition has left fears of where the series will go and if DLC is worth the price.
The two Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC expansions are The Teal Mask, planned for Fall 2023, and The Indigo Disk, planned for Winter 2023. Only a few details have been released, but both Scarlet and Violet DLC expansions will bring trainers away from the main Paldea island to explore other parts of the region. At least five completely new Pokémon have been confirmed for the two expansions so far, with 230 familiar ones also coming.
Pokémon Scarlet And Violet's DLC May Have The Same Bugs & Glitches
Despite the excitement around the announcements, which seem to be genuinely good additions, buying or at least pre-ordering Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC may not be worth it yet. First, the games still have problems running on the Switch, and even if that is more on the console than the game itself, it remains a crucial problem. A patch fixed some of the issues the game had at launch and one in late February, but it hadn't done enough to warrant Pokémon's AAA game status in 2023. The second problem is that the $35 price for both packs is a little high, given the game's current state.
What Can Make Pokémon Scarlet And Violet's DLC Price Worth The Cost
The chance of a price drop for Scarlet and Violet's DLC is low, if not non-existent, so that option must be removed completely. The best choice of action then would be for Game Freak to put forward a more serious effort toward the state of the game. The elimination of bugs entirely, or at least largely, would be a significant first step. After that, improving the game's performance would be a massive relief. If those two things were done, and the DLCs are good content, then the $35 price tag makes sense - and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's cost is more justified.
The high-grossing Pokémon franchise has grown into one of the largest in the world, and no one wants it to be great and succeed more than its fans. The likelihood is with or without updates, DLC will do well and could even be great additions to a game that is good but technically flawed. However, if changes were made to improve the game's condition, it would go a long way for not just the community, but for making the cost of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's DLC worth the price.
Source: GameSpot/YouTube