Long-time fans of the Pokemon franchise will remember the Sealed Chamber puzzle in the Hoenn region from Generation III, where a specific combination of monsters and attacks were required to unlock Regirock, Regice, and Registeel (a group of legendaries aptly named the Regi trio by fans). Players of the most recent games will have the chance to experience more with this growing family, as two new Regi forms were revealed as part of The Crown Tundra update for the Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass in today's Direct.
About 14 minutes into the Pokemon Direct, concept art from Sword and Shield is shown of a yellow-and-red bisected temple that will be hidden somewhere in the snowy free-roaming area as paid DLC sometime in fall 2020.
Then, following the introduction of Calyrex (one of three new Legendary Pokemon) and a new co-op mode, more concept art can be seen of the two new Regis.
Game Freak does not reveal much about them in the Direct, but their designs indicate one might be Electric-type, with bursts of lightning for arms, while the other might be Dragon-type, with what appear to be skulls with jagged teeth for arms.
It's currently unknown whether these new Regis will be entirely new entities, or simply Galarian forms of the originals being added to Pokemon Sword and Shield alongside the Slowpoke line. However given there are only two rather than three, as well as the unique dot patterns on each, early signs indicate they will be brand new.
Whether they are new or not, these Pokemon come with a long history — and Game Freak seems to be calling back to it. While the Legendary titans originated in Ruby and Sapphire with that aforementioned Sealed Chamber puzzle, lore about their supposed part in helping to forge the planet was expended with the addition of the trio's "leader," Regigigas in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. The "strange temple" shown in concept art is reminiscent of Snowpoint Temple from the Sinnoh Region, where Regigigas was first encountered.
The $29.99 Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra expansions will coincide with 200 Pokemon returning, all of whom will be available to even those players that don't purchase the DLC through a free update. Among those being brought back are other popular Generation IV monsters like Garchomp, which should continue to seed hope for the highly anticipated Diamond and Pearl remakes.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are available now for the Nintendo Switch.