Skip to main content

Free New Pokémon Snap DLC adds three new courses and 20 Pokémon

New Pokémon Snap is getting its first batch of DLC since the game launched in April. The free update adds three new courses to the game, as well as 20 Pokémon.

A free content update is coming to New Pokémon Snap!

Released on April 30, New Pokémon Snap was a nostalgic hit with fans and critics alike. The game is a long-awaited sequel to the Nintendo 64 cult classic Pokémon Snap, both of which revolve around taking photos of Pokémon. Nintendo hadn’t indicated whether or not New Pokémon Snap would get additional content, making today’s announcement a surprise for fans.

Gyrados leaps into the sky in New Pokemon Snap.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The free update is coming to Switch on August 4. It’ll add three courses and each one will have a day and night variant. A new area in the Florio Island Nature Path, called Secret Side Path, shrinks players down so they can take pictures of giant Pokémon. Mightywind River sends players riding down a river to snap pictures of water Pokémon. Barren Wilderness is a new canyon-like area on Voluca Island filled with poisonous and rocky creatures.

A trailer for the update gives a look at some of the new monsters fans can snap photos of. Pokémon like Tropius, Psyduck, and Swalot appear on the new courses, and fan-favorite Snorlax makes an appearance at the end.

New Pokémon Snap was a hit for Nintendo when it first launched. It was the third bestselling game in April 2021 with its sales doubling its Nintendo 64 predecessor’s debut month. Nintendo hasn’t confirmed if the game will receive even more DLC down the road.

New Pokémon Snap‘s free DLC will be available on August 4 for those who own the game on Nintendo Switch.

Giovanni Colantonio
Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC lets players venture outside of Paldea
Key art featuring new characters and Pokémon that are in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Teal Mask.

During a Pokémon Presents showcase to celebrate Pokémon Day, the DLC for Scarlet and Violet was revealed. The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC is titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero and will release in two parts, both planned to launch in 2023.
The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero ✨| Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet
Both pieces of DLC take place outside of the Paldea region and will be accessible once players start the Treasure Hunt in the main game's story. The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Teal Mask, which comes out first, sees players go on a school trip to the Japan-inspired land called Kitakami. While there, players will encounter new Pokémon, such as the monkey-like Munkidori, dog-like Okidogi, bird-like Fezandipti, and the mask-wearing Legendary Pokémon Ogerpon. The Teal Mask comes out this fall.
Then, this winter, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Indigo Disk will arrive and let players transfer to Blueberry Academy, where they will meet lots of new students and teachers. It will continue the story established in The Teal Mask and ultimately culminate in an encounter with another new Legendary Pokémon called Terapagos. Over the course of both DLCs, over 230 older Pokémon will come to Scarlet and Violet, including Chingling, Milotic, Shiftry, Vikavolt, Yanma, Ninetales, Zebstrika, Metagross, Dewgong, Espurr, Whimsicott, and Alcremie.
Additionally, once players preorder The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC by October 31 will get a Hisuian Zoroark that knows the moves Happy Hour, Tera Blast, Bitter Malice, and Nasty Plot and has a Dark Tera Type as a bonus alongside some new outfits. 
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch. The Teal Mask launches sometime during fall 2023, while The Indigo Disk will arrive during winter 2023.

Read more
Pokémon showed why it’s still unstoppable in 2022
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet protagonist holding glowing Poke Ball

Remember Temtem, the monster-taming MMO that got its 1.0 release earlier this year? Don't feel too bad if you don't.

What was once hailed as the "Pokémon killer" officially launched in September too little fanfare. Despite the initial spike in interest after its early access release, it didn't quite reach the cultural status of the game it was trying to build on. Meanwhile, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet broke records as Nintendo's fastest-selling games of all time, despite being the most heavily criticized entries in the series' history due to performance issues and glitches. Not even bad press could keep Pikachu down.

Read more
After 25 seasons, Ash Ketchum is retiring from Pokémon
Ash holds a Pokeball while a lot of iconic Pokemon stand behind him.

The Pokémon Company confirmed that Ash Ketchum will no longer be the main protagonist of the series' anime starting in 2023.
Ever since Pokémon! I Choose You! first aired in Japan on April 1, 1997, the Pokémon anime has followed the exploits of 10-year-old Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum on his quest to become Pokémon Master. After trying and failing many times across 25 seasons, Ash finally managed to become the world's greatest Pokémon trainer in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series after winning the Pokémon World Coronation Series.
The Pokémon Company is deciding to leave Ash's journey on a high note and will retire his character as the protagonist of the Pokémon anime after the current season. Thankfully, he is getting a proper send-off across the final 11 episodes of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, with classic anime characters like Misty and Brock returning to help tell "the final chapter in Ash and Pikachu's story." These final 11 episodes will start airing in Japan on January 13, 2023.
This won't be the end of Pokémon anime adaptions, though; The Pokémon Company will start a new series later next year, following two new characters named Liko and Roy. Details on this new series are still scarce, but we know it will also feature Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, and a Shiny Rayquaza in significant roles. We're likely to see them venture through Paldea, the region Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are set in.
While the announcement that Ash Ketchum will no longer be the protagonist of the Pokémon series is bittersweet for those of us who grew up with the Pokémon anime, we can hope that the series will give him a beautiful farewell, and that Liko and Roy's series can successfully capture the hearts of a whole new generation of Pokémon fans. 

Read more