When is Indigo Disk expected to launch? Exploring possible Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC release date

When Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC expansion was announced in March 2023, it dawned on trainers that the expansion would take place in two parts: The Teal Mask, which arrived this month, and The Indigo Disk, which does not yet have a concrete release date. So, when can players expect The Indigo Disk DLC to be available?

So far, the only confirmation from Game Freak is that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's second DLC is that it will debut in Winter 2023. While that's a bit of a vague timeline, it gives trainers an idea of what to expect.

Regardless, it isn't a bad time to examine The Indigo Disk will arrive for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players based on the available information.

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When might Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk be released?

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk has a tentative Winter 2023 release date (Image via The Pokemon Company)

As stated by Game Freak and The Pokemon Company International, The Indigo Disk DLC has an approximate release date of Winter 2023. Although that's not specific for plenty of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans, it isn't exactly a large time window either.

Since video games' release dates are typically viewed through a quarterly lens, Winter 2023 effectively means that The Indigo Disk will debut in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet between December 2023 and March 2024. However, there are a few factors worth taking into account before narrowing down the speculative timeframe.

The first part of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, The Teal Mask, debuted in September 2023, marking roughly six months since the DLC was announced. If The Indigo Disk followed the same six-month time gap, it would arrive in March 2024 at some point. Be that as it may, the winter seasonal holidays are worth considering.

December is obviously huge in the gaming industry as developers and publishers take advantage of the holiday shopping season. Since this is the case, The Indigo Disk may end up having a release date closer to late November or in early- to mid-December to capitalize on the increased sales of Nintendo and Pokemon products during the winter.

Although a release in early 2024 can't be completely ruled out, it seems as though this wouldn't be an opportune time with regard to sales surrounding Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in general. Nintendo Switch consoles and Pocket Monsters titles tend to fly off the shelves toward November and December, which is part of the reason Scarlet and Violet had a November 2022 release themselves.

Given this information, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that The Indigo Disk will have a release date hovering around the end of November to the first two weeks of December. This would maximize its potential for revenue, and there's precedent for this assumption when fans take a look at The Teal Mask DLC debuting in the summer.

For a more precise projection, one might assume that The Indigo Disk will debut online somewhere between November 17, 2023, and December 15, 2023. This is obviously all speculation, but those dates would certainly maximize potential sales before the start of 2024.

An early 2024 release date certainly isn't out of the question, but it wouldn't make quite as much sense as taking advantage of the winter holidays. More Nintendo Switches are sold, more Pokemon Scarlet and Violet copies are purchased, and more players dive into the two games' DLCs. Only time will tell to determine if The Pokemon Company follows suit.