There was a time, long ago, when games were finished by the time they hit retail shelves. But now we’re in the 21st century, and more often than not, post-launch add-ons are released months after development on the main game is complete, enriching the experience.
Today, there are tons of games that get DLC, expansions, and season passes. These can range from cosmetic changes and updates to an entirely new roster of characters to an entirely new story campaign. The Switch’s game library and eShop are certainly no strangers to these expansions. Sometimes they come years after the game was released and completely surprised us — looking at you, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
In this DLC guide, we recommend the best DLCs and expansions that money can buy on Nintendo Switch. And that’s the key here – money. We only considered paid updates for this list; Hollow Knight has excellent free DLCs, for example, but if we look at all the free updates and DLCs, this list could go on forever.
Well, hold back no more — get your eShop wallet ready and check out the best of the best on Switch. And we’ll keep updating this as more great DLCs are released.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition (Replacement)
Publisher: CD Projekt Red / Programmer: CD Projekt Red
Expert 3 is perhaps the gold standard when it comes to DLC — hearts of stone and Blood and wine bringing a combined minimum of 25 hours to an already massive RPG, and that’s only if you ignore every detail in these massive expansions. The complete edition of the game comes bundled with both expansions, each adding new characters, a new story, and brand new mechanics. Hearts of Stone brought Runewords that Geralt could use to improve weapons, while Blood and Wine has armor additions and gives us a whole new map.
Basically, both parts of The Witcher 3 DLC are easy if you’ve invested your life into the base game.
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass (Change eShop)
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: Nintendo
The very reason we started this list, who would have thought we’d get 48 brand new songs for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe over the five years since its release on Switch?
Available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass or as a separate purchase, when analyzed individually, the six waves included in the Booster Course Pass are sometimes a mixed bag, and it’s easy to get your mind stuck on past courses that haven’t been revisited. However, the overall package is generous and exciting and absolutely worth the asking price — we recommend the Booster Course expansion to fans and newcomers alike without a doubt. It doubles the number of tracks already available in the base game and adds some great new racers, making it an almost essential purchase for anyone who owns Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Overcooked 2 (replacement)
Publisher: Team 17 / Programmer: Ghost town games
If you need more co-op mayhem in your life, look no further than Overcooked 2wonderful season pass. This tray comes with three additional servings, all of which are available in Gourmet edition. Cook on a campfire introduced us to four more chefs and 15 brand new levels set in the forest — so there’s plenty of s’mores to go around. Night of the Furious Horde features Unbread (this still makes us laugh) with nine new kitchens and three secret hidden levels and four more chefs. And at the end, Carnival of Chaos brings even more levels and characters while giving us combo meals we can be satisfied with. It’s pure magic in a game that thrives on its gameplay and mechanics and keeps us coming back to the buffet for more.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Donkey Kong Adventure (Change eShop)
Publisher: Ubisoft / Programmer: Ubisoft
Less scary than the main game, but just as beautiful and hilarious as Battle for the Kingdom Mario + Rabbidsthe Donkey Kong Adventure The DLC brings a fresh angle to the already outstanding gameplay and campaign. Some really powerful characters often make quick work of a slightly weakened enemy attack, and the lack of character options is perhaps the only downside here, taking away from some of the deeper strategy involved throughout the game, but we still loved every moment of our time with DK and friends. If you’re craving more Rabbids mayhem, give this a try.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (Change eShop)
Publisher: Capcom / Programmer: Capcom
A major expansion to Monster Hunter Rise, Sunbathing is a success in more ways than one. There’s enough that’s new or different to make it a must-have for fans of the base game, and with multiple free updates added over time, you’ll keep coming back for more. The new mechanics and content are enjoyable, the challenge is increased, and it’s still an audiovisual treat. It’s a welcome reminder that there’s nothing quite like Capcom’s monster-slaying franchise, and even at times when it’s “just more of the same, but harder,” it’s still more than enough.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – The Champions’ Ballad + Expansion Pass (Transfer eShop)
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: Nintendo
Many think The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild be the best video game of all time, and The ballad of the champion it just gives us more reasons to play in this glorious version of Hyrule. It doesn’t live up to our wild, breathless fantasies, but it’s fun and full of clever design and charm — not to mention some decidedly awkward areas. Plus, you get a motorcycle — what more could you want? All in all, therefore, the mission is accomplished. We are quite confident when we say that Breath of the Wild plus Expansion Pass is an extremely famous and must-have game, which gives us many good things, the kind you can never have too much of. Tears of the Kingdom and its inevitable DLC have a lot to live up to.
Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion (Switch eShop)
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: Nintendo software technology
Splatoon 2‘with October expansion was a big surprise, and it’s a masterclass in how to do DLC right. It fits perfectly into a standalone game, provides tons of custom content, and develops the story of the world of the Inklings and Octolings effortlessly and beautifully. As a single-player experience it significantly surpasses the standard Octo Canyon mode, and while it does allow players to acquire exclusive items, it manages to avoid affecting any online gameplay mechanics, so non-buyers are never at a disadvantage. If you are a fan Splatoon in any capacity and want to dive deeper into your beak, the Octo Expansion is an unwavering must-have.
Cuphead – Tasty Last Dish (Change eShop)
Publisher: StudioMDHR / Programmer: StudioMDHR
Long awaited DLC to fantastic Cuphead it was worth the wait. Cuphead – A delicious last dish is a great little expansion that breathes new life into one of the Switch’s most fun games. It might be a bit shorter, but what’s here is absolutely fantastic and reasonably priced considering its length. If you have the original, that’s important. If not, they both are. It’s goofy-addictive, tough-as-nails cartoon running and shooting at its finest, and the whole package makes for one of the best indie titles out there.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – Golden Land (replacement)
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: Monolith Soft
Acting as a prequel to the events of Xenoblade Chronicles 2there are few expansions as vast in size and content as Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Land. Whether you’re a Season Pass owner and want to revisit a series you love from a new perspective, or you’re new to the franchise and want a standalone adventure, this big slice of JRPG action will grab you from the moment you start switching between Blade and Driver. There are over 30 hours of gameplay here, and the DLC brings with it some welcome tweaks to combat and combos. Torna is a good addition to an already great game on the Switch.
Pokémon Sword and Shield – Isle of Armor (Change eShop)
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: The Pokémon Company
Pokémon Sword & Shield’s Expansion Pass brought us much more than the Galar region with two brand new maps to explore, a handful of new Pokémon, and plenty of old friends. Isle of Armor is, in our eyes, the better of the two halves, providing a fantastic new setting with some fun challenges and an excellent legend, while The Crown Tundra is still a lot of fun with Dynamax Raids and a fun new design for the legendary bird trio. It showed that Game Freak learned from their mistakes with the base game — whether the Scarlet & Violet DLC lives up to this will be something we’ll answer later.
We wish The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk, for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, matched the previous generation’s DLC. However, if you love the base game, the Expansion Pass is still worth grabbing
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