Release dates for the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet two-part DLC are slated for Fall and Winter, but little else is specified. The overall package is titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero and follows in the vein of Pokemon Sword and Shield with that game’s expansions The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra.

At a glance, looking at when the previous game’s DLC might not help all that much to narrow down a specific month for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC. The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra were released in June and October 2020 respectively, putting it off from The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero by at least several months for each expansion, but there are a few things to glean by taking note of its release schedule as well as how Scarlet and Violet have fared overall.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Rough Launch Probably Delayed the DLC

There have been improvements to the core experience, but Scarlet and Violet had a rough launch with performance issues still plaguing the game. The game was an absolute mess on day one and considering how the window for Part 1, The Teal Mask, places its release around a year after that initial launch, it implies that due to a mix of technical issues in the base game and maybe even ambition for the project, the release had to be pushed back by a few months before its announcement was made.

Since the DLC is slated for Fall, its window would be between the end of September to the beginning of December, but November sticks out as a notable month it can launch. Since the game is still receiving extensive patches to fix the core game, having its DLC come out around a year after its initial release could be a way for Game Freak and Nintendo to signal Scarlet and Violet‘s big chance to redeem itself after having such a rough launch.

Where the DLCs for Sword and Shield come into play when speculating on specific releases comes down to how they were spaced out. The Isle of Armor coming out in June and The Crown Tundra being in October places their launches around four months apart from each other, and a similar gap should be expected with both parts of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. Assuming that The Teal Mask does come out in November, a safe estimate for its second part, The Indigo Disk, is to settle around March 2024.

An alternative way to interpret the seasonal window accounts for the long wait for the first part as they come out closer together. A one-month gap might be brief, but two or three could be a reasonable distance between releases. Reports have also stated Nintendo’s next console will release in March 2024, meaning The Indigo Disk would have to launch sometime before to keep some excitement for it alive.

Assuming that the reports are accurate, and a new system is coming in March 2024, Nintendo would still likely prefer to push brand-new games or ports of games that couldn’t run on the Switch instead of DLC for a readily available game. What could help keep excitement alive for The Indigo Disk is that it is not considered a standalone experience, but rather the second part in a larger narrative connecting the expansions.

Since a one-month gap between DLC releases might be brief, the most realistic date for The Teal Mask places it for November 2023, and The Indigo Disk for February 2024. Whenever it does release, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC is a prime opportunity to expand on what worked in the base game and correct where it went wrong.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available for Nintendo Switch.