Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are by all accounts an improvement over past Pokemon games in terms of what they have to offer and how the experience is tailored for everyone, despite some fundamental flaws that led to a mixed reception on launch. Although Pokemon Scarlet and Violet came out around two months and a half ago as a finished set of games, there's still a lot that The Pokemon Company could and likely will do with Gen 9 for a long while. The best example to look at for clues about what's to come is none other than Gen 8, as Pokemon Sword and Shield both received plenty of updates after they launched in November 2019.
For starters, Pokemon Sword and Shield were the second set of games in the franchise to not get a third version or sequel (outside of Pokemon X and Y) but instead, they came with a DLC pass containing two separate expansions - Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra. Since this approach was quite well-received in terms of additional content, with controversies mainly focusing on the first expansion and the pass' price tag, it's reasonable to think that Gen 9 will get DLC as well. On top of that, there are several updates and features that could be added to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet over time, making 2023 a good year for Pokemon fans.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC Announcement
With a prominent and trustworthy leaker claiming that it's already confirmed that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC is more than just a rumor, it's more a matter of when it's going to be announced than if. Gen 8's expansion pass was announced with a trailer in early January 2020, and since this is not the case for Gen 9, the most likely date to hear something about it right now is on Pokemon Day, February 27. The Pokemon Company usually announces several new projects on Pokemon Day, ranging from spin-offs like New Pokemon Snap to mainline titles or remakes of past games.
With Pokemon Black and White remakes being a ways off, and a possible Pokemon Legends sequel being up in the air, assuming they're both even coming in the first place, leaving a big announcement for Gen 9's DLC for February 27 only makes sense. It's unclear at this stage if there will be a pass with multiple expansions or a single DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but both choices make sense under the assumption that one expansion would need to be quite big to compensate, whereas two can work similarly to what Gen 8 offered. Either way, it's extremely likely that there will be at least another major release for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in 2023, if not multiple ones.
Possible Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC Features
Because one of the most successful features of Gen 8's Crown Tundra expansion was Dynamax Adventures, and since Gen 9 lacks a similar activity in its current endgame offering, it only makes sense for The Pokemon Company to add something similar to Scarlet and Violet. There could be a couple of new currencies used to unlock powerful effects in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, for example, and they could easily be tapped into for a Dynamax Adventures-like activity either as rewards or to be spent to participate. This could be something about rare Tera type Pokemon or Tera shards, for example, and it would provide players with a replayable endgame activity for when they're done with farming shiny Pokemon or Tera Raids.
The possibilities are endless, but what should be the focus is a new form of endgame grind for Gen 9 players to engage with, considering that the only ones available in the base game can quickly become repetitive and not very rewarding. Pokemon Sword and Shield's Dynamax Adventures were not only fun, but they allowed players to try a roguelite version of Pokemon that still rewarded them with materials and possibly rare Pokemon - mainly Legendaries from past titles, which could also make for great shiny hunts. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's shiny hunting methods are incredibly popular because they are extremely effective, and this effectiveness can also turn into a lack of motivation due to no major challenges being present anymore.
A rumored feature that will seemingly make its way into the DLC is a Pokemon editing tool. A PkHex-like feature in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC would be huge to see, mainly because there have been many issues with players "genning" Pokemon in their games (that is, creating them with cheat engines), and an editing tool would kill two birds with one stone. In fact, an editing tool would allow any player to get the perfect critter, maybe slowly and with a long grind to pave the way for it, and it would also be a great prize at the end of a difficult activity, for example. Such a feature would further cement Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's approach to the "competitive grind" as a favorable one, making it easier than ever to get into competitive Pokemon.
The Future of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Events and Tera Raids
Tera Raids are currently playing a major role in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's endgame, and there are multiple events constantly coming to Gen 9 games. The most recent is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Greninja Tera Raid, which focused on the popular Gen 6 starter after the successful reception of the previous bosses - Charizard and Cinderace. This is likely going to continue in the future with more starters and rare Pokemon in general, possibly featuring guaranteed shinies and Legendaries further down the line.
It's easy to fit Tera Raid events for all occasions, too, and one of the upcoming confirmed ones is happening for Valentine's Day with a Fairy Tera-type Tandemaus. It's equally likely that more Pokemon Scarlet and Violet distributions tied to various celebrations will come in the future, be it via free-for-all Mystery Gifts or with one-time codes from online or in-person events. Looking at Gen 8, these extras are unlikely to stop until a new mainline generation of games comes out, thus filling the entirety of 2023.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Hotfix, Competitive, and Pokemon Home Support
Lastly, it's plausible that more hotfix patches will come to Gen 9 over the course of the year, even though it remains to be seen whether Game Freak will be able to do something about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's performance issues that players have lamented since launch. Regardless, fixes are likely coming in 2023, even if they won't dramatically change the quality of the games.
What will continue to get support is the competitive side of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, with VGC Series 2 launching in just a few days, introducing Paradox Pokemon to the format. More changes will come to the competitive format, and it's likely that Legendary critters will also be allowed at some point, as well as the various Pokemon Home exclusive Pokemon coming later this year. Speaking of which, Pokemon Home will eventually add a compatibility feature with Gen 9 games, allowing players to get all the Hisuian forms and a slew of returning critters and Legendaries.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
