Pokemon Sword & Shield Will Let You Explore Raid Dens For Rare Monsters

Pokemon Sword and Shield are getting two expansions this year as part of the expansion pass, as revealed during today's Pokemon Direct. And the second of the two expansions is adding a major new feature: rather than simply battle a strong Pokemon at a raid den, in the Crown Tundra expansion, you'll be able to "explore the full depth of Pokemon Dens" and even encounter Legendary Pokemon from previous games therein.

The Crown Tundra expansion for Sword and Shield is the second of the two and is scheduled for release during Fall 2020. Being the later expansion, it's expected that details are a little scarce. We don't yet know how exploring the raid dens will work, just that players can group up, enter the dens, and explore them with the possibility of finding rare Legendary Pokemon from other games. Brand-new Legendary Pokemon will also be found in the dens.

Interestingly, this expansion will also introduce an element of co-op, which will involve trainers teaming up to catch Pokemon in the dens.

Cave exploration was largely absent from Sword and Shield's base adventure, save for brief jaunts through the Galar Mine. Fumbling your way through a cave is kind of a staple of the Pokemon experience, so the prospect of new spelunking adventures (and with friends, at that) is an exciting one.

This is only a piece of all the announcements from today's Direct, though. Catch up on all the details about the two Sword and Shield expansions, Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, below.