Nintendo May Be Responding to a Major Arceus Complaint With Their Controversial Pokemon Legends: Z-A DLC

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The latest Pokémon game, *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*, is coming out soon. But before its October 16th release, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company surprised everyone with an announcement: paid downloadable content (DLC) for the game! This DLC was revealed even before the main game is available, and many fans were upset, feeling it was a way to quickly make more money. I’ve been trying to figure out the reasoning behind this decision, especially since some fans are already hesitant about *Z-A*.

It’s become common for new games to launch with downloadable content (DLC) available for purchase. Often, pre-ordering a game gets you cosmetic items, which are sometimes also sold separately as DLC. This practice can be risky, as seen with the negative reaction to *Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2*. However, the new *Mega Dimension* DLC for *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* feels different. It was announced before the game even came out, and won’t be released at the same time. This early announcement struck many as a greedy attempt to make more money. Some fans are worried that important content that should have been in the original game is being held back and sold as DLC. But there might be more to the story than meets the eye.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus Never Got True DLC, Even Though Fans Wanted It

The first *Pokemon Legends* game, *Pokemon Legends: Arceus*, received a somewhat mixed reception. While many fans loved its fresh take on the traditional *Pokemon* formula – offering a relaxed experience with fewer trainer battles and a focus on completing the PokeDex – its position as neither a full main series game nor a simple spin-off was unusual. Despite this, *Arceus* was successful with both critics and players, leading many to hope for additional content like an expansion.

Adding downloadable content (DLC) after a Pokémon game is released is a fairly recent trend. *Pokémon Sword and Shield* introduced the *Isle of Armor* and *The Crown Tundra* expansions, and *Pokémon Scarlet & Violet* also included two paid DLC packs, both of which offered new areas and story content. Because of this, many players were hoping for similar additions to *Legends: Arceus*. However, after just one small, free update, the developers stopped supporting that game to concentrate on *Scarlet & Violet*, which has left many fans disappointed.

I really got into *Legends: Arceus*, and like a lot of other fans, I was hoping for a little more after the credits rolled. *Sword and Shield* had some extra content after you beat the main story, so we were all expecting something similar. The story ends with my character kinda just…stuck in the past! I always wondered what happened to them – did they stay in Hisui forever, or did they ever get back to their own time? It’s a bit frustrating because it looks like we’ll never get a proper answer, and that feels like a missed opportunity.

It’s now highly unlikely that *Pokemon Legends: Arceus* will receive any downloadable content. However, the disappointment fans expressed over the lack of an expansion for that game might have influenced The Pokemon Company to announce the *Legends: Z-A* add-ons so far in advance.

Legends: Z-A DLC Early Announcement Left Fans Frustrated, But Could It Be a Good Thing?

Pokémon Legends: Arceus was a groundbreaking game, but Pokémon Legends: Z-A is aiming to establish a new standard for the series. What these two games have in common will likely become the standard for all future ‘Legends’ titles, putting a lot of pressure on Z-A. Interestingly, despite that pressure, Z-A doesn’t seem very similar to Arceus, beyond a couple of core features. Both games take place in previously explored regions and offer quick-catch mechanics, but unlike Arceus, Z-A won’t receive any downloadable content (DLC).

A major reason fans were let down by the lack of downloadable content for *Legends: Arceus* was simply what they anticipated. As the game following *Sword and Shield*, many players expected it to include expansions, continuing a trend from previous titles. Even though Pokémon never officially announced DLC for *Arceus*, the expectation was widespread, making the absence of add-ons particularly disappointing. Perhaps The Pokémon Company is now aiming to manage expectations more effectively with *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*.

Revealing the *Mega Dimensions* DLC so soon feels a little premature. It seems like we’re being asked to spend more money on content for a game we haven’t even started playing yet. Some players worry this means the full game won’t be complete, and that content originally planned for the main game is now being sold separately. That might be the case, but it’s also possible this early announcement is simply to assure fans that this *Legends* game will receive an expansion, unlike *Arceus*.

The announcement might be intended to give fans something to anticipate after finishing *Legends: Z-A*. It suggests we’ll get more content, similar to the expansions released for *Pokemon Scarlet & Violet* and *Pokemon Sword and Shield*. However, it seems this announcement didn’t quite have the desired effect. At least now, we know that a lack of post-game expansions won’t be a standard feature of *Legends* games.

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2025-10-05 22:13