Pokemon Sword and Shield will finally allow players to give regular Pokemon Hidden Abilities in the upcoming Crown Tundra DLC. This is a huge quality-of-life improvement that will make competitive battles more accessible than ever before.
For context, the competitive scene in Pokemon Sword and Shield requires players to optimize every aspect of their Pokemon. One of the most important attributes is the Pokemon's Ability – a passive benefit that varies from Pokemon to Pokemon. Some Pokemon have Hidden Abilities that are (usually) more useful than their default Abilities. Unfortunately, Trainers can't access Hidden Abilities until the game chooses to make Pokemon with those Abilities available in special events, which can take months.
The DLC will add an item called the Ability Patch, which changes a Pokemon's Ability to become its Hidden Ability. Fans of rare, uniquely-colored Shiny Pokemon will especially benefit from the new addition. If a player breeds a Shiny Pokemon that does not have the desired Hidden Ability, the player can simply use the Ability Patch. Between the Ability Patch and the already-present Ability Capsule, which lets a Pokemon with two standard Abilities switch between them, players will have unprecedented power over the Abilities their Pokemon have.
The official game website notes this item will be difficult to obtain. This brings to mind the relationship between Max Soup and Gigantamax Pokemon from the Isle of Armor DLC. Players need to grind for Max Mushrooms to turn into Max Soup, which instantly enables a compatible Pokemon to access its Gigantamax form. If acquiring Ability Patches works in a similar way, players will need to be patient, as it may take hours to earn the Ability Patches they want.
The new item continues one of the best improvements in the latest Pokemon games. Namely, it gives players a way to get their Pokemon ready for competitive battle quickly. Players can bring any Pokemon to their full potential through Poke Jobs, Hyper Training, Max Soup, and now the Ability Patch. Of course, players still have to learn what each ability does. As some Pokemon abilities have hidden effects, this is easier said than done.
Some may criticize the addition of Ability Patches as a way to incentivize people to purchase the DLC. It is not yet known whether players without access to the Crown Tundra region can obtain Ability Patches. Given that the latest Pokemon games will re-release in November with all DLC included, this could be a sort of sales pitch for that option as well. In any case, players will have to spend less time worrying about getting the right abilities on their Pokemon once the Crown Tundra DLC drops.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are available now on Nintendo Switch. The Crown Tundra expansion will release on October 22nd for both games.
Source: Pokemon.com