A substantial, brand-new update is available to download right now for the popular life sim game Pokemon Pokopia. Pokemon Pokopia released earlier this year to strong reviews, standing tall as one of the highest-rated Switch 2 exclusives released to date and the highest-rated game that the Pokemon franchise has ever seen. Developers Game Freak and Omega Force and publisher Nintendo have made sure to keep interest in Pokopia alive through regular limited-time events and updates.
Most of the Pokopia updates have been released for free, but the game now has its first premium expansion. For $34.99, Pokopia players can purchase the Expansion Pass, which gives them access to the newly-released Bubbly Basin DLC, a second DLC coming in late 2026, and a third coming in 2027. Bubbly Basin is available now for Expansion Pass owners to enjoy, but even those that aren’t willing to shell out more money for the game have some new content to check out.
Pokopia‘s big 2.0 update is available to download right now. Pokopia‘s newest update addresses lingering technical issues that have been plaguing the game, and it also introduces some major quality-of-life improvements, new items, and new emotes. However, the biggest new addition to Pokopia that players can download now for free is access to the Dive ability, which dramatically increases the available space players have to work with in any given area.
Pokopia‘s Dive ability is earned by learning the moves Jump and Surf, leveling up Bleak Beach’s environment level to 5, and then talking to Manaphy. With Dive, Pokopia players are able to explore underwater. Not only that, but they are able to build habitats and structures underwater as well, effectively giving them the ability to create underwater cities if they so desire. Dive is central to the Bubbly Basin DLC, but it’s also available completely free of charge to all Pokopia players.
It will be interesting to see if future DLC drops also come with big free updates for Pokopia players to check out. We don’t know all that much about the second DLC except that it will add the ability to dress up Pokemon, and we know nothing about DLC 3 beyond the fact that it will feature a brand-new village. It’s entirely possible that these future expansions will center around special abilities that players can get for free, like Pokopia‘s Dive ability, but fans will have to wait for more information on that front.
A release window has yet to be announced when it comes to future Pokopia DLC, but based on Nintendo’s release cadence, chances are DLC 2 will drop in December or thereabouts, and DLC 3 will come at some point after Pokemon Day 2027. However, that’s just speculation at this time. DLC 2 and 3 could both release sooner than expected, and so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Pokemon Pokopia Update Patch Notes
- Added the move Dive, allowing players to move freely underwater.
- The Build specialty can now be used to build houses underwater.
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Added new items such as the portal pod and safe.
- Recipes can be purchased after increasing Palette Town’s environment level.
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Added the new pattern, dynamic Ditto print.
- Can be obtained by talking to Smearguru after acquiring the diploma.
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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.
We have made several additional adjustments and fixed a number of bugs to improve the overall gameplay experience.
- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone / Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
