'Pokemon' fans reportedly still angry about latest DLC expansion, Pokedex, and more

It was only around two months ago when Nintendo released its first two "Pokemon" games for the Nintendo Switch – "Sword and Shield." However, prior to its launch, Game Freak and Nintendo reportedly received backlash over the developer's decision to adjust the Pokedex. This meant that some older-generation creatures were not included in the game. Last week, the developers surprised players with the announcement of a DLC expansion, which apparently adds content that was missing. Thus, fans are voicing their frustration yet again.

The root of these complaints appears to stem from the misinformation regarding the missing pokemon. Players believe that those who do not purchase the DLC content will not be able to access the returning ones. While this might be true for those who want to catch them in the wild, there are ways to get them without spending for the expansion.

The first one involves trading with another player, while the second is via the upcoming Pokemon Home app, which will be available for Android, iOS, and the Nintendo Switch. Users should be aware that the latter will only work on existing pokemon found in the Galar region including those that are making their way back into the game. Nevertheless, some individuals are still not satisfied.

An article published by Polygon indicates that game producer Junichi Masuda was recently on the receiving end of some of these complaints. He reportedly accessed his Twitter account to respond to some well-wishers who greeted him on his birthday.

One user pestered Masuda by asking him to explain why Game Freak "removed" some pokemon and opted to add them back via a paid expansion pass. Another wrote, "If we give this man another chance he will just make even more bs excuses to cut content again." Masuda allegedly responded to one of these messages with "It's a holiday today and it's a birthday, can you let me relax?" This exchange reportedly prompted the hashtag #bringbacknationaldex to trend on social media.

Others are posting about their grievances with the gameplay and certain features that can affect competitive play. It seems that Nintendo and Game Freak will have to deal with a lot of their hands for the meantime until the expansion pass comes out. Despite the issues and criticisms, "Pokemon Sword" and "Pokemon Shield" are doing quite well when it comes to sales numbers.