The most common reason the "update work" fails is due to a mismatch between the base game file and the update file.

If you downloaded the base game (XCI) and the update (NSP) from different sources, there is a high chance the "Title ID" does not match. The Switch operating system requires the update to target the exact Title ID of the installed game. The most common reason the "update work" fails

An NSP is a digital eShop title dump. Skylanders Imaginators was sold digitally, so NSPs exist. The base NSP is roughly 5.6 GB.

Pros for Skylanders:

Cons:

Both formats work equally well for Skylanders Imaginators, provided you have a hacked Switch running CFW (e.g., Atmosphere, SX OS). The game has no online mandatory checks for single‑player content. Cons: Both formats work equally well for Skylanders