Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s first piece of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC launches on Sept. 13, and select Japanese media outlets were able to get an early look at some content featured in the expansion—including an addition that finally addresses one of the base game’s biggest flaws.
Just based on the limited information Famitsu and a few other Japanese publications were able to share, The Teal Mask will feature more than just a few new and returning Pokémon. Now we know that players will actually get more customization options for their character, though we still don’t know the extent of those updated cosmetics.
It was pretty obvious from the various trailers for The Teal Mask, but players will be able to change their trainers into traditional outfits inspired by the culture surrounding Kitakami. This includes kimono- or haori-like garb and several new accessories listed in images of a clothing shop from the DLC.
This somewhat fixes one of the biggest issues players had with Scarlet and Violet right from the game’s launch, which is that there are only four outfit options that players can rotate between with no intricate way to customize things.
Dating back to Pokémon X and Y on the 3DS, players have been able to mix and match some aspects of their outfits, like pants, shirts, jackets, and hats, to give their trainer a bit more personality during a playthrough. SV locked players into school uniforms and only allowed for accessories to be swapped around, which makes sense for a student attending an academy but takes away from the customization experience.
We have only seen the player characters running around in the familiar school uniforms from the base game or the green Kitakami traditional outfit, which likely means you can purchase the new clothing and wear it as a set before pairing it with additional accessories. We will have to wait until we see the full list of updated customization options at launch to see how much Game Freak listened to this specific feedback.
We also have confirmation that new hairstyles will be included, alongside more options to customize and make things during picnics. All of this content seems to be unlocked early on in the DLC based on what the media was able to play.
