Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s new DLC physical copies don’t guarantee The Indigo Disk release date

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are releasing a new physical copy of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet that bundle in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC in November. The product’s release date does not seem to reflect the actual release for the DLC’s second part, The Indigo Disk, however. 

These new physical copies for Gen IX will drop internationally on Nov. 3, giving players who haven’t purchased Scarlet or Violet a chance to pick up the base game and the DLC in one place—and without needing to go through the Nintendo Switch eShop, as far as we know. 

Some fans pointed out the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet + DLC Bundle Packs release could be when The Indigo Disk launches as a follow-up to The Teal Mask, which dropped on Sept. 13. As of now, that does not appear to be the case because of some additional wording included with the new physical product. 

According to the new box, and as pointed out by Serebii webmaster Joe Merrick, this version of Scarlet and Violet will include the base game and the DLC, however, an “additional download” is required. This likely means that neither part of the DLC is actually included in the cart, instead, it contains a key to automatically give you access to it and you will need to download them once you insert the cartridge.

At the very least, the official website says players “will need to download an update to play Part 2: The Indigo Disk after it launches in winter 2023.”

There is no indication that the second SV DLC will drop at the same time or even in November at all just yet, though an announcement should be coming in the near future for an actual “winter” release date. Though, considering we have already seen footage of the second DLC and it will tie directly into the story of The Teal Mask, it shouldn’t be far off. 

This DLC Bundle Pack is also being criticized by fans for a number of reasons, including many who are still upset about Scarlet and Violet’s continued performance issues. There is also confusion as to why this product is being released before The Indigo Disk since the Sword and Shield + Expansion Pass release in November 2020 included both of the Gen VIII DLCs on the physical cartridge itself with no need for an additional download. 

Until we get confirmation, everything you see online about a release date is just speculation based on upcoming products. But hey, at least you get a Mystery Gift code for 100 Poké Balls if you buy the price still-to-be-determined Pokémon Scarlet/Violet + DLC Bundle Pack.