Pokémon Sword & Shield DLC Leak Reveals A Long-Awaited Feature

Game Freak’s first-ever DLC for a mainline Pokémon release, Sword and Shield‘s Isle of Armor, finally released last month for Trainers eager to go on further adventures in the Galar region. Situated east of the mainland, the secluded island resort not only debuted a selection of new ‘Mons but brought back a wealth of those controversially cut from the base game along with the series’ National Dex feature.

There are, of course, still hundreds of creatures still missing from the Switch exclusive eighth-generation titles and while we already know that the second expansion, Crown Tundra, will bring back even more fan favourites, it remains to be seen if all 807 (yes, really) will eventually be present. What has become apparent, however, is that like its predecessor, Sword and Shield‘s second add-on will insert a number of new items and features into the core gameplay loop of capturing, training and battling, one of which could be a game-changer for the competitive scene.

Thanks to those who brought it to my attention, looks like Item 1606 for DLC 2 is an Ability Capsule designed to change Ability 1/2 -> Hidden! pic.twitter.com/L2CFj2eciQ

— Matt (@mattyoukhana_) July 19, 2020

As shown above by leaker @mattyoukhana over on Twitter, an unreleased item believed to be coming with Crown Tundra will allow players to directly change the ability of a chosen Pokémon to that of its hidden variant. It’s already possible to alternate which latent effect a Pokémon has access to through the use of an Ability Capsule, but it’s currently impossible to get Hidden Abilities in this way. Assuming this mysterious item officially makes its way in-game, then, it’ll mark the first time that Game Freak has allowed their acquisition through means other than events and other limited means.

For Sword and Shield specifically, Hidden Abilities are only obtainable through repeated grinding of the Wild Area’s Max Raid Battles, so such a change would be welcome indeed. Crown Tundra is due for release this fall, so stay tuned for more details.