The Pokémon Company revealed in a press release that the Switch 2-exclusive life sim has surpassed five million copies sold globally, a remarkable feat on its own, but made even more significant when you remember that the game was released only four months ago. For comparison’s sake, Sega’s Sonic Frontiers took way longer to reach that point, and that was after a bunch of updates, a solid expansion and a Nintendo Switch 2 release. Not that this dulls the Blue Blur’s achievement in any way, of course.

The new Bubbly Basin expansion is sure to have contributed to those staggering numbers. However, it’s clear that Pokopia was already well on its way to achieving the latest feather in its cap anyway. We can’t wait to see what the next couple of chapters in the game’s Expansion Pass bring to the table, and how many more copies it can manage to sell when they drop in late 2026 and early 2027.

In its most recent quarter, Nintendo has reported revenue of ¥132.7 billion from just digital sales, which marks a 90 percent year-on-year increase. The period in question, between March 30th and June 30th, also saw a 2.2 percent year-on-year increase in the ratio of digital sales.

Interestingly, this marks a relatively high percentage of physical sales, especially when compared to Sony and Microsoft, which have reported ratios that are significantly more skewed in favor of digital releases.

Discussion about physical versus digital sales has become a hot topic in recent times due to Sony announcing just last month that it was planning to end PlayStation disc production in 2028. While the announcement has drawn plenty of criticism from all over the gaming industry, Sony’s CFO, Lin Tao, has said that the company strongly believes that “digitalization is progressing” even beyond PlayStation.

“There are various reasons we made this decision, the biggest being that the digitalization of content overall has been progressing, that’s the big factor,” she said. “It’s not just PlayStation, but for all kinds of content, digitalization is progressing. And so, when we think about the future – and we put in a lot of thought and time, and we cautiously considered this – and we came to this conclusion, and we’re going to cautiously move this forward. And to this decision, we have received various opinions and people have strong views, and we understand that the community has put forth those views to us.”

“Games are beloved by many people. It’s a form of entertainment that’s loved by people, and it’s connected to people’s fond memories in many cases. And so, we understand those emotions. We want to consider that. And in the future digital ecosystem, how do we engage the gamers is something that we would continue to explore.”

Recent reports, however, have indicated that Sony might start facing some pushback on the matter from potential legal issues. The company is now facing antitrust lawsuits that would arise from the company’s plans essentially ending the concept of second-hand games markets for PlayStation games. The company is being accused of forcing consumers to buy exclusively from Sony’s own digital stores, which in turn gives the company a 30 percent commission for each game sold.

Along with this, there have also been concerns about the ownership of games, as well as the potential disruption an all-digital future could cause to fair pricing practices. Among the arguments is the fact that buyers would essentially end up only renting games. In the meantime, reports have also indicated that Sony is printing warning labels on new PS5 boxes about the impending end of physical media.

Not that Nintendo’s last generation hardware is out to pasture just yet. It reached 155.92 million sales on the same date, with 770,000 units sold in the same three months. In terms of software, it handily outpaced the Switch 2 with 33.81 million sold versus 10.78 million.

You could attribute this to the success of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, which sold a whopping 7.94 million units. Then again, the Switch 2 has Pokémon Pokopia, which has sold 3.68 million thus far. Other recent titles like Star Fox weren’t mentioned.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Switch 2 can maintain this sales momentum, especially since it’s getting a global price hike on September 1st. It will end up costing $500 instead of $450. On the other hand, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and The Duskbloods are slated for later this year, and could end up tipping software sales in the platform’s favor.

It’s situated well beneath the surface, requiring you to meet and engage with Manaphy, a DLC-exclusive Pokémon that will teach you a useful trick for breathing underwater so you can reach the titular town from the update with ease. You’re going to want to have a few Water-type Pokémon in tow to help out your efforts to make the town as appealing as the island you’ve already put together, and have tons of fun engaging with a host of activities and new additions in the process.

We’re especially eager to get started on that Submarine that doubles as our base of operations. If you haven’t picked up the DLC, we’ve put together a list of useful information about what it brings to the table. There’s also the launch trailer below to help sway your decision. We’re already sold on the art style’s take on underwater environments and can’t wait to spend a few hours beneath the waves.

If you’ve collected a few water types by now, you’re probably going to like what’s coming next. If not, you might want to make those a priority, for reasons that are coming along as we go further into what’s new with the update and the expansion. Well, the waves beckon, so let’s jump right in for a swim through a bit of underwater fun.

Free Version 2.0.0 Update

1. Ditto’s Diving Lesson

Ditto gets the ability to swim and even go underwater for as long as his breath allows him to remain there, as a part of the free update, with completion of “Raise the environment level” at Bleak Beach and knowledge of jumping and surfing being the only prerequisites. But those peeks under the surface area are just a taste of what truly awaits in the water.

The Expansion Pass adds Manaphy, a Pokémon that can teach Ditto a very nifty way to swim underwater to his heart’s content, with a handy diving ball to summon that makes breathing possible being everything you need to join and water types on adventures into the depths of the water bodies that have remained inaccessible, but are now doorways into more adventures, and more rewards.

2. Only Water-Type Pokémon Can Come Along

It bears repeating that not all Pokémon you’ve collected can join you on your forays into the depths, and keeping a few water types handy in your collection is sure to help you stay afloat once you get into things in the expansion. There’s a lot to do under the surface, and having a few trusted companions at your side is going to make a world of difference.

That’s not to mention that some of those water types are among the most adorable ones there are!

3. Underwater Town Building

Once again, Ditto’s bringing life to previously uninhabited corners of his world, and there’s a whole new town coming to the game as part of the expansion. Of course, it’s up to you to help Ditto bring it back to life, and that’s going to have you exploring the ocean floor to pick up the things you need, plant grass, put up structures, and create underwater towns around them.

The free update allows for underwater building right off the bat, but it’s only with Manaphy that the true depth of the system comes to the surface thanks to…

Paid Expansion Pass Part 1: Bubbly Basin

4. Bubbly Basin

The headliner of the expansion pass’s first instalment is Bubbly Basin, an entirely underwater Town that’s just waiting for you as a part of the free Version 2.0.0 Update. Of course, you’re going to need Dive, which means Bleak Beach should be high on your list of priorities over this weekend if you plan to be among the first ones there.

It’s a massive place, and you’re going to be quite busy swimming through it all once you get started.

5. Farming Melons Underwater

Ditto does have a knack for sniffing out fun, unique things to do no matter where he goes, doesn’t he? Well, your fellow Pokémon are there to help, and cultivating melons is sure to make your time in Bubbly Basin easier. We did see Mudkip and Corsola in the trailer, but those water types are certainly going to work in your favor alongside the new ones you’re likely to find as you explore the depths.

It’s looking like there’s a whole other generator to build underwater, just as you’ve done on land. It’s Pokopia in an entirely new space, and we’re going to be chasing down those buoyant blocks as soon as we get our heads under the water.

6. Pokémon-Powered Machines

One of the ways water types are important to the underwater gameplay loop is their use of the Generate ability to create bubbles that power machines and street lamps. We’ve only been given glimpses from the trailers, but these are all likely to be factors in making your underwater town one that’s as welcoming to new Pokémon as can be.

It’s a new kind of Pokopia, and there are bubbles involved this time around. It’s definitely going to make this one more charming, along with making great use of its art style to bring a whole new biome to life.

7. Deep-Sea Exploration

Of course, setting up a base underwater is only one part of your new adventure, as you’re going to have to find a hole in the sea floor and travel through it with your best Pokémon in tow to follow a glowing coral. Solving that mystery is definitely something we’re making a beeline for when the update drops.

It’s a great way to get familiar with the scenery and the flora and fauna you’re likely to find along your travels as you build out your town. It’s also probably going to bring some useful Pokémon your way, which could give you a solid start as you begin to build your base and develop it.

8. Buoyant Blocks, Floating Buildings

There’s the potential for some truly unique towns under the surface as Buoyant Blocks are what you’re going to be using to build structures. They’re special bricks that float at varying levels underwater, allowing you to build structures that simply float at the level you place them on.

That’s obviously something we couldn’t do on land, and the scope to create a new town with more verticality in the mix is sure to get the more creative ones among you working hard to make some truly unique towns.

9. The Sharpedo Submarine

Any good town you build must have a place for you to put up your feet and call home when you need a break from all your underwater adventuring. Even Ditto’s boundless enthusiasm can run out from time to time. He is mimicking a human, after all. Well, the Sharpedo Submarine is going to be what helps, and building it is probably a good thing to keep track of so you’re always building up to it.

It’s going to make a great place for you to crash, and the game’s promotional materials paint it as a sort of Secret Base with Ditto making it his own with new furniture and the like coming to the game.

10. More Pokémon, New Outfits and Gameplay Items

Of course there are new Pokémon coming into the mix for us to discover and collect, but Ditto’s also getting new outfits to chase down, furniture for his base to look out for, and an upgrade to Surf to pick up. Smoothies are a new prepared food, and we’re expecting a few new recipes to find along the way.

Of course, the trailers haven’t dived too deep into it all yet, and we’re yet to learn the full extent of new content on offer. However, everything we’ve seen so far points to a new world within an already familiar one. Whether it can build synergies with the one above the surface that you’ve already painstakingly built remains to be seen, but we’re sure that there are going to be creative ways to get there.

But for now, it’s time to use the weekend to prepare for a brand new foray into unknown frontiers, with wit, charm, and the ability to imitate the best of the world around us at our side. August 5, 2026, cannot get here fast enough, but we’re going to remind ourselves that patience is a virtue while we wait. We’re quite optimistic about it being worth it, after all.

There are plenty of third-party titles to look forward to as well, including – surprisingly enough – 007 First Light. IO Interactive said it would be available later this Summer, but it’s yet to announce a release date. Perhaps at Gamescom Opening Night Live, followed by a hands-on demo to show off its performance on the show floor?

One can also look forward to Minecraft Dungeons 2, Orbitals, Metaphor: ReFantazio, EA Sports FC 27 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The latter is interesting because it’s the first Call of Duty to be released on the Switch, and should provide a nice preview ahead of its October launch.

Of course, there’s the tease of “and more,” and you can’t help but wonder if Nintendo will feature The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s upcoming remake. Out this year, we’ve yet to see any gameplay, much less hear about a release window. It’s also possible that FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods, whose closed network test runs from August 21st to 23rd, makes an appearance. Stay tuned as Gamescom runs from August 26th to 30th.

The update has also introduced new things for players to unlock, like recipes, hair colors, and even emotes. A variety of quality-of-life improvements have also been implemented, such as motion-sickness reduction options and the ability to move while the move wheel is open.

Other improvements made to Pokémon Pokopia include Pokémon now responding to players using emotes they were taught, and moving back into a habitat after their previous one was destroyed in the same area. Ordinary conversation indicators have been reduced so that players can now more easily track special conversations, and lost relics can now be appraised in larger batches of up to 10 at a time. For the full list of changes, check out the patch notes below.

The Bubbly Basin expansion introduces a new town that players can explore, and brings in a host of new building types that players can use in designing their towns. In keeping with its aquatic themes, the expansion has also brought along upgrades to Surf, brand new Pokémon outfits, and a host of smoothie recipes.

Pokémon Pokopia is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. For more details, take a look at our review. Since its release, the title has proven to be incredibly popular, and many even started calling it a system seller.

Pokémon Pokopia version 2.0.0 patch notes:

The following features have been added:

• Added the move Dive, allowing players to move freely underwater.
• The Build specialty can now be used to build houses underwater.
• Added new items such as the portal pod and safe.
• Recipes can be purchased after increasing Palette Town’s environment level.
• Added the new pattern, dynamic Ditto print.
• Can be obtained by talking to Smearguru after acquiring the diploma.
• Added new emotes: Lie Down and Ready, Set, Go!
• Can be obtained in Bleak Beach and on Dream Islands.
• Added five new hair colors: orange, light pink, yellow-green, blue-green, and brown.
• Added a function to move items in bulk between the storage box and bag.
• Added a function to delete items placed inside objects such as the garbage bin.
• Added the ability to fine-tune depth placement when placing windows, doors, and similar items.
• Added an option in Settings to hide the confirmation message shown when canceling Magnet Rise.
• Added an option in Settings allowing movement while the move wheel is open.
• Added motion-sickness reduction settings for the camera.
• The following items can now be painted: stylish stool, handrail, metal chain, workbench, vending machine, bike, bookcase, Pokémon Center counter, arrow sign, rope.

The following improvements have been implemented:

• Even if a Pokémon’s habitat is destroyed, it will move back in if the same habitat is rebuilt within a certain area.
• Pokémon that are sad because furniture was removed will now notice more quickly when the same furniture is replaced.
• Pokémon that taught you an emote will now respond with the same emote when you use it.
• If a Pokémon being searched for in the Pokédex is in another town, you can now travel to that town using Return Home.
• Reduced ordinary conversation indicators so that special Pokémon conversations and requests directed at Ditto stand out more clearly.
• Lost relics can now be appraised in batches of up to 10 at a time.
• Paint, Gather Honey, and Collect can now be performed multiple times in the same interaction.
• During crafting, materials in the storage box next to the workbench will be consumed before materials in the bag.
• Increased the placement limit for power generators (excluding furnaces) from 64 to 128.
• Increased the number of different photos that can be displayed in a town from 10 to 40.
• When sucking up liquid, a short press of the move button to hold liquids in Ditto’s mouth will allow liquid to be held in their mouth without removing it from the environment.
• When releasing stored water, adjusted water levels now automatically match nearby water levels.
• Smearguru can now learn patterns from photos stored in References.
• Improved visibility of the target item when painting with paint balloons.
• Increased the amount of treasure discoverable with the Dowsing Machine on Dream Islands.
• Pokémon companions can now follow you while moving with Surf, Glide, Rollout, or Magnet Rise.
• Inhaling items and opening the bag are now possible while rolling using Rollout.
• Rollout can now destroy certain natural objects such as large boulders.
• Surf can now be activated on land by pressing the Surf button while holding the focus button.
• Improved activation conditions for Surf and Waterfall so they occur more smoothly.
• Leafage can now be used on farm soil to revert it to a normal soil block.
• Strength can now be used underwater.
• Added an All tab to both the Pokédex and Habitat Dex.
• Made it clearer that buildings can still be remodeled even when items such as the Ditto Flag are attached to roofs or walls.
• During construction, any Pokémon not assigned to the Build role in a building project can now help with cooking.
• Prevented treasures in Sparkling Skylands from appearing when using the Dowsing Machine in locations where breaking terrain would cause them to fall.
• Improved messaging when there are insufficient materials for copying items using the 3D Printer.
• Items can now be placed on top of square plants.
• Hide-and-sneak can now be canceled midway.
• Adjusted in-game event notifications shown at startup so they are displayed only during specific remaining-day periods.
• Certain roof items now block water.
• Increased output when crafting curved eaves to 10.
• Tidal Bell and Clear Bell can now be triggered using laser sensors and switches.
• Adjusted sound effects for camping chair and sleeping bag.
• Improved performance for certain rendering processes.

The following issues have been fixed:

• When talking to a Pokémon that is currently assigned to construct buildings, options such as “Follow me!” may sometimes fail to appear.
• Suicune and Gholdengo may be unable to travel across water.
• Pokémon may occasionally fall into the ocean or off cliffs when appearing from their habitats.
• Even when using honey, Pokémon may sometimes fail to return to their habitats.
• Using Magnet Rise may occasionally cause Pokémon to scold or warn the player.
• Pokémon that dislike water may sometimes be unable to move across duckweed and flowering duckweed on the water’s surface.
• Requests from Pokémon may occasionally ask for items that the requesting Pokémon actually dislikes.
• When processing berries in the community box, paint may not be produced correctly.
• The timing of the note played by the music mat (high Do) is offset incorrectly.
• Certain furniture can be painted through specific procedures even on parts where the colors are not actually changeable.
• Painting certain items may use more paint than intended.
• The light color of a painted surface light may fail to change correctly.
• Under specific conditions, it is possible to place more than one party cooking pot in the same town.
• Some items may display unnaturally when viewed from a distance.
• For some items, visual effects may disappear when viewed through glass.
• Under certain conditions during multiplayer, building may become impossible to complete or cancel.
• In certain situations, it may be unclear why actions such as building or relocation cannot be performed.
• On Cloud Islands, players other than the administrator may be able to place a relocation kit.
• Under certain conditions, a building kit may become unrecoverable when remodeling a house.
• Under certain conditions, painted portions of the sand house may be reset.
• Using Rock Smash while falling may cause Ditto’s position or height to become significantly displaced.
• During the Withered Wasteland request “Clear the path!” Slowpoke may stop moving partway through.
• During the Sparkling Skylands request “Follow Tinkmaster!” certain actions may prevent the request from progressing.
• During the Sparkling Skylands request “Pokémon Center tour guide!” searching for Tinkmaster in the Pokédex may guide the player to the town containing their habitat rather than the town where they are currently located.
• Loading may occasionally fail to finish when returning from a Dream Island.
• Returning from a Dream Island may incorrectly send the player to Palette Town.
• Under certain conditions when an online session ends, the player may be transported to a Dream Island.
• On the Cloud Island loading screen, the player’s gender pronoun may sometimes be displayed incorrectly in some languages.

Well, it’s broken now, with Nintendo bringing a more-or-less faithful port of the original 2002 game, ensuring that the entire Nintendo 64 collection is now all playable in one place. That’s music to the ears of any Mario fan, and if you’re like us, you’re probably humming the same tune in your head.

But this new version brings upgraded visuals and built-in save states to help make it more palatable to modern tastes. However, you can expect all the original’s flaws (and triumphs), right down to the secret levels without FLUDD. It’s out on August 13 and could be a great one to dive into if you’re subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.

A trailer accompanies the announcement, and it’s a perfect showcase of what made Super Mario Sunshine as memorable as it was back in the day.

Raiders, as I specified already, decidedly bucks that declining trend and pulls me back into the fold. The very first spin off the Splatoon franchise has ever gotten, it delivers two things that until now, have been unprecedented – a Splatoon title that is primarily single player; and, perhaps more importantly, the very first looter shooter Nintendo has ever made.

"There’s actually not that much variety in mission types and variety"

Because that’s what Splatoon Raiders is – a looter shooter. Rather than being based on the content distribution model of something like Destiny, however, it’s better to compare Raiders to Borderlands or Monster Hunter. This is a game that’s packed with a remarkable amount of content and systems, requiring neither persistent online connectivity, nor updates, to flesh out the structure and skeleton.

Like any loot game, Splatoon Raiders sees players pick out missions, and then run them to the end for loot drops; said loot drops can then augment and modify your build and abilities, which in turn allows you to take on higher leveled missions for better loot, and so on and so forth. It’s a structure that has worked in pretty much every loot game there ever has been, from Borderlands to The Division, and it serves Raiders well. The missions in question are extremely quick to run, requiring under ten minutes to complete in almost all cases, which lends them well to the repetition inherent to replaying older levels for better loot – also something that is a hallmark of loot games, mind you.

There’s actually not that much variety in mission types and variety – you either run through a linear course, clearing some mandatory objectives, and defeating all enemies you find on the way; or you are tasked with defeating a certain amount of enemies within a certain period of time, with enemies respawning endlessly until you do; there are missions that give you one primary objective, with a bunch of minor objectives scattered across the map, and let you decide how you want to progress; and then there are the smaller, more specific missions, such as ones where you can only use certain gear, or have to fight off only a specific kind of enemy, or have to complete some sort of platforming obstacle course.

You’d think the lack of variety would start to grate, particularly in a game that asks for so much repetition from the player to begin with. However, interestingly enough, that never quite happened with Raiders in my experience. At least part of this has to do with Splatoon’s immaculate game feel and mechanics. Spraying stages with colored ink, seamlessly transforming into your squid form to traverse and navigate, and defeating enemies in giant explosions of color all remains inherently satisfying and addictive on some deep, primal level, and keeps players on the loot treadmill in spite of the ostensible issues with repetition. These, combined with the general stage design — short and quick, with rapid pacing and straightforward objectives — means that the issue of the lack of variety and repetition never even occurred to me while actually playing the game. It was only when stopping to reflect on my time with Raiders that I realized that it does technically “falter” on this front.

"Every major mission in the game can be played multiplayer, with friends or with strangers."

Repetition is ultimately inherent to a loot game — one could even argue it is the entire point. Loot games that don’t force you to work towards your preferred or desired drops by repetition and grinding tend to receive harsh criticism from players who find they have nothing within the game left to do — as happened with Monster Hunter Wilds last year, or Destiny 2 when it first came out, before its expansions fixed it up. I don’t think anyone who is interested in the genre is going to find Raiders worse on this front than any other similar title. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that Splatoon is generally better about it than other titles in the genre are. The strength of the series’ core mechanics, paired with smart mission design, helps it retain an edge.

A key aspect of loot games, particularly in the modern era, is multiplayer and co-op. For all that the marketing of Splatoon Raiders has focused on the fact that it is the first single player game in the series, it is, in fact, fully multiplayer. Every major mission in the game can be played multiplayer, with friends or with strangers. And, in fact, Splatoon Raiders has a far more robust and functional suite of online multiplayer features than any of the mainline games have had.

For starters, and remarkably, I experienced no lag, no stuttering, no disconnections, and no instability in my entire time with the game at all, almost half of which was spent playing with others. In 2026, it can feel almost comical to call attention to this, but I would like to remind everyone that Nintendo, and the original Switch, were so deficient with online support and features that games with frequent lag, stutters, and disconnections were extremely common until just a few years ago. With Raiders, however, the game ran as smoothly in multiplayer as it does single player.

Beyond just the netcode, the actual suite of online features is also great; you can play with strangers, play with friends, have private parties, call on help from other players if you’re playing solo and struggling, help out other players who may be stuck; it’s all quick and straightforward, and it’s remarkably seamless. If multiple players are playing, then everyone gains progress for the levels being completed in their individual and respective games, even if the missions in question are ahead of however far they may have progressed in their own game. This, again, doesn’t seem like a big deal, but is such a contrast to how something like Monster Hunter handles synching players’ progress, that it merits being called out – especially since this is technically Nintendo’s first attempt at the genre to begin with.

"Like other games of this type, Raiders also really spreads its wings and comes into its own when it gets to the endgame."

The actual loot and grinding aspect of Raiders benefits from being part of the Splatoon IP. The mainline games’ madcap weapon variety, with different types (all of which play substantively differently), makes it over; to augment it further, Raiders also has you aiming for modifiers on your powers and abilities, weaving and mixing its various randomized drops in all sorts of ways to allow for a glorious litany of ways to customize your build to your play style.

Like other games of this type, Raiders also really spreads its wings and comes into its own when it gets to the endgame. The post game content in Splatoon Raiders is pretty robust and deranged in its challenge and difficulty level, and running some of the end game stuff leads to some of the most hectic moments in any game that I can remember in recent memory.

Which, actually, brings me to what I found the most surprising aspect of Splatoon Raiders — it may be the most technically impressive game from Nintendo I have played in the Switch 2 (again. Yes, I realize I say this often, but also, we are early enough in the console’s life cycle right now that each new release shows us more about its capabilities).

It’s amusing, because Splatoon Raiders apparently started development as an expansion for Splatoon 3, a game on the original Switch. However, this game, in the form that it is currently in, would probably melt that system if it tried to run on it. Splatoon Raiders frequently fills the screen with dozens of enemies, dozens of beams, explosions, waves, transparencies, and particle effects, dozens of bright splashes of color, multiple player characters, and through all this, it runs at a steady, locked 60 frames per second. There was not a single dropped frame in Raiders in the entire time I spent with it — and believe me, after a certain point, I was trying my best to push the game and catch any stutters or frame rate drops in the act.

I legitimately had very little expectations from or interest in Splatoon Raiders, with the last few entries in the franchise convincing me that it was no longer for me. What I ended up getting is definitely my favorite game in the franchise since the Wii U original over a decade ago, one of my favorite exclusives on the Switch 2, a system that is rapidly building an enviable library of quality exclusive content, and one of my favorite loot games ever, in a genre where, over several decades, I’ve experienced no end of fantastic games. For an unassuming spin off in one of Nintendo’s so called lesser franchises, that’s a pretty strong outing, all said and done.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.

As outlined in the overview below, the DLC introduces the titular town, which is located underwater and a great place to grow watermelons (though you’ll need Pokémon specializing in Water). It’s also where you’ll engage in some deep-sea diving, new buildings constructed with bouncy blocks, and the Sharpedo submarine to serve as a new room.

That’s besides the new Pokémon, outfits, Surf upgrade and Smoothies that can be prepared. Aside from the DLC, the free update allows for building underwater, swimming alongside Water Types and even learning Dive from Manaphy.

For those seeking even more reasons to get lost in the world of Pokopia, Part 2 of the Expansion Pass arrives in late 2026. Details are scarce right now, but expect even more Pokémon and furniture.

Pokémon Pokopia is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 and is developed by Game Freak and Omega Force. Aside from garnering extensive acclaim (check out our review where we gave it a 9 out of 10), it’s become one of the biggest surprise hits for Nintendo. It sold 2.41 million copies as of March 31st, and even surprised Koei Tecmo’s CEO. Read more about that here.