Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk countdown: Expected global release time and date

The second and final DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, The Indigo Disk, will be released on Dec. 14. But it might be available slightly earlier in regions like North America if The Pokémon Company decides to follow the same release pattern it used for the first DLC.

The Indigo Disk is officially set to release on Dec. 14 in Japan, according to a banner on the game’s official page on X. The English version of the game’s official website also confirms this release date. Given that the DLC is expected to launch globally at the same time, this could mean that while it releases in the early morning of Dec. 14 in Japan, players in Western countries, particularly those in North, Central, and South America, might see the release late in the night of Dec. 13. This is what happened with The Teal Mask, which released on Sept. 12 in the Americas and on Sept. 13 in Japan.

We know that The Indigo Disk is likely not releasing before this time and date because Pokémon HOME is going under maintenance at 7pm CT on Dec. 13 to ensure support for the DLC. Since leaving Pokémon HOME servers active right when The Indigo Disk releases could cause instability in the app, that likely means the DLC will only come out after the maintenance starts, but very likely before it is over.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk expected release dates by timezone

Why The Indigo Disk is expected to launch globally at the same time

You should expect Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk to release globally at the same time because that’s how all Pokémon DLC on Nintendo Switch have been released since Sword and Shield.

Unlike typical main Pokémon game releases that happen in phases across regions, additional content like DLCs tends to launch simultaneously worldwide as they are updates rather than entirely new software. This is likely due to Nintendo’s system capabilities, which probably allow only the same game version updates for all players, regardless of where they are located. So, a staggered release of The Indigo Disk DLC would create an imbalance in the Pokémon player base, where some players would have access to new Pokémon, moves, and abilities, while others would remain locked out until the content becomes available in their region.

To avoid such a chaotic situation, a coordinated global release of The Indigo Disk is the most plausible approach, ensuring all players get access at the same time.

How to download The Indigo Disk when it releases

Your Pokémon Scarlet or Violet copy will automatically download The Indigo Disk once it’s available if you bought the DLC in the eShop and have auto-updates on. This feature is always enabled by default, so you don’t need to do anything if you never tweaked these options in your global Nintendo Switch settings or in your game settings.

To enable Auto-Update Software on your Switch, follow these steps:

1. From the Home screen of your Switch, select “System Settings” (the gear icon).
2. Scroll down through the options in the System Settings menu until you reach the bottom of the list.
3. Choose “System.”
4. Scroll down within the System menu until you find “Auto-Update Software.”
5. Select this option to enable or modify your Auto-Update settings.

If even after that your Switch hasn’t downloaded The Indigo Disk, it will recognize an update is available once you try to play Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and prompt you to download it.