Do you need to beat Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to play The Teal Mask DLC?

Since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet The Teal Mask DLC is an expansion to the original game, do you need to complete the main campaign to access the new stuff? It’s not uncommon to see DLC require original game progress to access. In this guide, we’ll answer how far you need to be in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet before you start playing The Teal Mask DLC.

Note: If you’re still stuck on the Mewtwo Tera Raid, visit our guide to help you clear it.

How much progress is required in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet before playing The Teal Mask DLC?

If you’re a newcomer to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, then take comfort because you don’t need to beat the game to play The Teal Mask. If you have beaten Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, then you can play The Teal Mask as well.

While you don’t need to beat Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to start The Teal Mask, you do need to make some progress to unlock The Teal Mask. If you’re looking to buy Pokemon Scarlet and Violet right when The Teal Mask comes out to jump right into The Teal Mask, then the unfortunate news is that you can’t do that. The good news is that all you need to do to access The Teal Mask is play through a little bit of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

How to start The Teal Mask DLC in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

The way to start The Teal Mask DLC is to start the Treasure Hunt in the main campaign. You do this around the three or four-hour mark if you’re focusing on the main campaign, but it may take you longer if you’re exploring and catching Pokemon. Use the moment you join Naranja or Uva Academy as a landmark to signify you getting close to starting the Treasure Hunt.

Instead of trying to clear every gym and collect every badge, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is different because it uses the Treasure Hunt to give you a handful of quests that you can complete in whatever order you want in the open-world Paldea region. The Teal Mask is likely going to be another quest that opens up once you have access to the Treasure Hunt.

If you want to play the second DLC when it comes out in winter 2023, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk, then you need to have fully completed The Teal Mask. That’s a big ask for people who want to play specific DLCs, but that’s what GameFreak has decided.