Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLCs have been announced for 2023, and although little information was revealed, just enough was provided for players to understand the content that is being added to the popular Nintendo Switch games this year. The expansion pack will be composed of two distinct DLCs. The first of them is The Teal Mask, while the second one is called The Indigo Disk. These two extra adventures for Trainers from the Paldea region are academic endeavors related to Naranja or Uva Academy, depending on the base game’s version.
The highly anticipated, partially leaked Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLCs were announced during the February 2023 Pokémon Presents livestream on Pokémon Day. The event showed details of both expansions from the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero pack, along with information regarding other titles. Spin-off games, such as Pokémon Unite, Pokémon Café ReMix, and Pokémon Masters EX were featured, and even a new Pokémon animated series and Pokémon TCG Classic were shown. Aside from the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLCs themselves, however, the spotlight was also taken by the awaited Pokémon Sleep app, information about how it works, and its estimated release window for 2023.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Hidden Treasure DLC Release Dates
Among everything that was revealed during the Pokémon Presents event in February 2023, the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC pack was the most remarkable. Although neither of them received a concrete release date, both expansions were given release windows, allowing players to have an estimation of when they will arrive to the Nintendo Switch games. The Teal Mask is expected to be launched in Fall 2023. This means the expansion should arrive sometime between mid-September and mid-December this year. The Indigo Mask, on the other hand, is slated for Winter 2023, meaning it should be released sometime before the end of the year.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Hidden Treasure DLC Stories
No major details about the stories in either of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's new DLCs were given in the Pokémon Day livestream. The Pokémon Company, however, did provide fans with a short description of each expansion via the Pokémon website, which allows players to better understand what they will be doing in each one, and where the events will take place. The first DLC, The Teal Mask, will see them go on a school trip to the area known as Kitakami. This region is located outside Paldea and there is a festival that celebrates local folklore taking place when the Trainers arrive.
Players will need to uncover the secrets of Kitakami, find some of the new Pokémon in Hidden Treasure of Area Zero and finish The Teal Mask before proceeding to The Indigo Disk expansion, the second part of the DLC. The Indigo Disk will see Trainers entering an exchange program and visiting Blueberry Academy, a sister school to Naranja and Uva Academies. The main difference is that this new school is not only focused on Pokémon battling but is also located in a building under the ocean’s surface. It is not certain what players will need to do aside from facing new characters in battle.
According to the Pokémon website, both DLCs in the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero pack share a connected story, despite being told separately. The precise nature of this story and how each one connects to another is difficult to ascertain without more information. Nonetheless, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Area Zero is certainly at the center of the mystery, as suggested by the expansion pack’s official title. Area Zero is the origin of Paradox Pokémon in the contemporary timeline as well as the Paldea-exclusive Terastal phenomenon, so either one or both of them can be addressed by the DLCs.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Hidden Treasure DLC Gameplay Details
When it comes to gameplay in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, no details whatsoever were revealed. The first expansion, The Teal Mask, will be set in an area with a giant mountain standing in the middle of it. If regular gameplay exploration with Koraidon or Miraidon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is enabled, Trainers will be able to traverse the environment seamlessly, without many restrictions. There is a slight chance, however, that bringing the Legendary mount will not be possible, to make the experience be exactly the same for new and veteran players alike.
If this is to happen, and it likely will, exploration will be something similar to Area Zero when players first visit it in the base game. There are many reasons Koraidon and Miraidon do not explore Kitakami. They could simply not be allowed on the school trip or, upon arrival, find themselves too scared of the local Legendary Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet's DLC. This is not completely unforeseen since it has happened before in the base game. Of course, after completing the campaign, the mounts are restored to their former glory, but they could still hold on to their cowardly demeanor.
The second DLC in Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, The Indigo Disk, however, may be the most interesting when it comes to new gameplay mechanics. Blueberry Academy is located mostly underwater, and this will probably affect the Trainer’s exploration. To further prove this, the expansion’s Legendary, Terapagos, seems to be an aquatic turtle of sorts. This was the only new Pokémon revealed for this Scarlet and Violet DLC, which means it will likely have a large role in the story. Terapagos was previously leaked as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s third Legendary, but has now been confirmed as the expansion’s mascot.
Players may navigate the seas in The Indigo Disk, and underwater exploration could also be added. This is, however, mere speculation. There are no official remarks regarding gameplay for either of the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLCs. It is likely that, closer to each release period, marketing materials include more information about the story and the gameplay aspects of the content. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s DLCs are arriving later in the game’s lifespan when compared to the expansions released for Pokémon Sword and Shield. Though this could be simply a matter of development time for larger titles, it could also indicate a longer shelf life for the Gen 9 games.