Pay Attention When You Buy the Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass

Update 6/22: Over the weekend, Nintendo advised consumers who accidentally purchase the wrong version of the Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass to contact customer service.

When purchasing the Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass or Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass, please ensure you select the one that corresponds with the version of the game you own. If you mistakenly purchased the incorrect pass, please contact customer support. https://t.co/nPmIXrIe59

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 20, 2020

The original story continues below.

The Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass, specifically The Isle of Armor, launches sometime on June 17. But you’ll need to make sure you buy the right version of the Expansion Pass, because Nintendo isn’t offering refunds if you get the wrong one.

The news comes via Nintendo of Japan’s customer service Twitter account, as translated by NintendoSoup. NoJ’s customer service has reportedly seen an uptick in the number of complaints by people who purchased the wrong version of the Sword and Shield Expansion Pass. If that includes you, unfortunately, it means you’re out $30; despite recognizing a problem in customer purchasing patterns, Nintendo won’t be refunding your money.

If you’re buying the Sword and Shield Expansion Pass in the game itself, you won’t really have to worry about paying attention to get the right one. The in-game prompt to purchase the Expansion Pass takes you directly to your version’s corresponding Pass in the Nintendo eShop.

The trouble comes if you’re buying it separately on the eShop or buying the download card from a retailer. According to the game’s official site, the actual download code is the same for each version of the Sword and Shield Expansion Pass, and after you enter it in the eShop, you then need to pick the version corresponding with your Pokemon game.

Yes, it’s needlessly convoluted, so just make sure you’re paying attention.

The original story is on NintendoSoup if you’re interested, and be sure to check out our preview roundup for the Sword and Shield Expansion Pass if you haven’t already.

Convoluted buying process or not, we’ll be getting into the Expansion Pass once it launches, so stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Pokemon Sword and Shield news as it develops.