The Pokémon Company confirmed on July 29 that Bubbly Basin — Part 1 of the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass — arrives on August 5, 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2. The paid expansion adds a fully explorable underwater town alongside a free Ver. 2.0.0 software update that unlocks underwater movement for every owner of the base game, no purchase required.
- ▶Sources: The Pokémon Company North America press release (Jul 29) · Nintendo official (Jul 29) · Eurogamer (Jul 29) · Polygon (Jul 29) · Game Informer (Jul 29)
At a Glance
| Game | Pokémon Pokopia |
|---|---|
| Content Type | Expansion Pass Part 1 of 3 |
| Developer | The Pokémon Company / Koei Tecmo |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Release Date | August 5, 2026 |
| Platform | Nintendo Switch 2 (exclusive) |
| Expansion Pass Price | $34.99 (all three parts, indivisible) |
| Requires | Pokémon Pokopia base game |
| Free alongside | Ver. 2.0.0 update — Dive ability for all owners |
| New area | Bubbly Basin (sunken town) |
What Is Bubbly Basin?
Official Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass trailer from Nintendo Direct, June 9, 2026 (Pokémon Asia ENG channel).
Bubbly Basin is an abandoned town sitting on the ocean floor. Arriving as Ditto, players follow the same core Pokopia loop — befriend Pokémon, build habitats, raise the environment level — but entirely underwater, with mechanics that simply weren't possible on dry land.
Eurogamer described Pokémon Pokopia as "an amazing performer for Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Koei Tecmo — on top of a great Switch 2 exclusive for fans and newcomers alike." With the base game already performing strongly since its March 5, 2026 launch, Bubbly Basin represents the first major content push in what Nintendo has now confirmed will be a three-part expansion roadmap extending into 2027.
Notably, the Pokopia subreddit and several gaming sites spotted the August 5 date in leaked data before the official announcement — a sign of how closely the community has been tracking the expansion's progress.
New Pokémon in Bubbly Basin
Polygon and Nintendo Life's July 29 coverage confirmed the following Pokémon as appearing in the Bubbly Basin DLC:
| Pokémon | Type | Role in Bubbly Basin |
|---|---|---|
| Popplio | Water | First encounter in the sunken town |
| Totodile | Water | Found in the underwater settlement |
| Mudkip | Water / Ground | Inhabits the aquatic environment |
| Finneon | Water / Flying | Encountered in the deep-sea area |
Chinchou is available as a Generate-specialty Pokémon whose electricity powers streetlights and other electronics around the town once recruited. Game Informer noted it as a standout feature: "When it gets dark, Chinchou can use its electricity to power light sources and other electronics."
Looking ahead, Nintendo Life reported that Snubbull will appear in Part 2 of the expansion, wearing accessories as part of that update's customization focus.
New Gameplay Systems
"Underwater fun is coming to Pokémon Pokopia!" — Official Nintendo Switch 2 promotional video (Jun 9, 2026).
Buoyant Blocks
The standout new mechanic for Bubbly Basin is the Buoyant Block — a building material that exists only underwater and allows players to construct floating structures at varying heights beneath the waves. Game Informer called it "the feature that stands out the most in the trailer," describing the resulting buildings as having "a magical feel." On the surface, gravity makes multi-level floating construction impossible. Underwater, the physics change entirely.
The Deep Sea
Below Bubbly Basin's main area lies a pitch-black deep-sea zone lit only by glowing coral. The Pokémon Company's press release described it as a place where players "traverse a hole in the sea floor to explore the deep sea shrouded in darkness." What Pokémon or secrets lie at that depth has been deliberately left for players to discover.
Sharpedo Submarine Secret Base
Players can construct a Sharpedo-shaped submarine that functions as an underwater Secret Base. For longtime Pokémon fans, the Secret Base concept dates back to Ruby and Sapphire on Game Boy Advance — its return here as a fully underwater room marks one of the more nostalgic touches in Bubbly Basin.
Full Content Summary
| Addition | Details |
|---|---|
| Watermelon crop | Grown with help from Water-specialty Pokémon |
| Smoothie recipe | New prepared food unique to Bubbly Basin |
| Bubble machines | Powered by Generate-specialty Pokémon |
| Surf move power-up | Enhanced version of the existing Surf ability |
| Extra Dream Island | Included in Part 1 per Nintendo's announcement |
| Dozens of new furniture items | Ocean-themed decorative and functional pieces |
| New outfits for Ditto | Additional customization options for the player character |
Free Ver. 2.0.0 Update — Available to All Owners
The Dive ability arrives free for all Pokémon Pokopia owners on August 5 — no expansion purchase required.
Every Pokémon Pokopia owner receives the Ver. 2.0.0 update at no cost on August 5. Its core addition is the Dive ability, obtained from newcomer Pokémon Manaphy. Once learned, Ditto can breathe and build underwater indefinitely — opening the game's ocean to everyone, even those who don't purchase the paid DLC.
Polygon explained the mechanic succinctly: "Exploring underwater environments is the key feature of Pokémon Pokopia's new DLC. This would be difficult considering that Ditto can only hold its breath underwater for a limited amount of time. Thankfully, a free software update will become available alongside Bubbly Basin on Aug. 5."
How to Unlock Dive
The Pokémon Company listed four prerequisites in its official press release:
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Story progression | Complete the "Raise the environment level!" request in Bleak Beach |
| Move: Jump | Must already be in Ditto's move set |
| Move: Surf | Must already be in Ditto's move set |
| Dive acquisition | Speak to Manaphy after meeting the above conditions |
Manaphy can be befriended as a permanent companion through the paid expansion content, but teaching Ditto the Dive move is free.
Platforms
| Platform | Available | |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 | ✅ Yes — exclusive title | |
| Nintendo Switch (original) | ❌ No | |
| PC, PS5, Xbox Series X\ | S | ❌ No |
Pokémon Pokopia and the Bubbly Basin expansion are Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. No ports or cross-platform versions have been announced.
Full Expansion Pass Roadmap
The three-part roadmap spans August 2026 through 2027, announced at Nintendo Direct in June.
The $34.99 Expansion Pass covers all three parts as a single purchase — individual parts cannot be bought separately.
| Part | Release Window | Key Content | New Town? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Bubbly Basin | August 5, 2026 ✅ | Underwater town, 4+ new Pokémon, buoyant blocks, deep sea, Sharpedo sub | Yes |
| Part 2 | Late 2026 | Accessories for Pokémon and Ditto, hundreds of new furniture items, more Pokémon | No |
| Part 3 | 2027 | New town (details TBA) | Yes |
Eurogamer reported the full roadmap on July 29: "A second DLC with accessories is coming in late 2026, with another new town following in 2027. They're all included in the previously announced expansion pass."
The Expansion Pass went on sale the same day it was revealed at the June 9 Nintendo Direct — meaning players who purchased it have been waiting since June for the August 5 content to go live.
Who Should Buy It
Already playing Pokémon Pokopia? Grab the expansion pass if you want new Pokémon, a new environment to build in, and continued story content through 2027. Part 1 alone adds the underwater biome plus dozens of furniture pieces and new Pokémon, and the $34.99 price covers two additional content drops yet to release.
Haven't started the base game? Pokémon Pokopia retails separately on the Nintendo eShop. The free Ver. 2.0.0 update applies automatically, so anyone who picks up the base game before August 5 will have Dive available from day one.
On the fence about the expansion? The free update unlocks underwater movement for everyone. You can experience Dive and build near the ocean floor without paying anything — the Bubbly Basin town itself and its exclusive Pokémon are the paid additions.
Community Reaction
Eurogamer noted that fan sites and the game's subreddit identified the August 5 date from in-game data before The Pokémon Company's official announcement, reflecting how closely the community has been tracking expansion timing since June.
The broader response to the July 29 deep-dive trailer has centered on the Buoyant Block mechanic and the deep-sea mystery area — two elements that hadn't been previewed in the June Nintendo Direct and which extend Bubbly Basin beyond what many players expected. The accessories system teased for Part 2, including Snubbull wearing hats and ties alongside Ditto, has also generated early discussion in the Pokopia community ahead of its late-2026 release.
This article is based on The Pokémon Company International's official press release dated July 29, 2026, Nintendo's official news post, and corroborating coverage from Eurogamer, Polygon, and Game Informer. Pricing outside the US may vary — check the Nintendo eShop for your region. Visit the official Pokémon Pokopia site for the latest details.