UPDATED: Launch date is confirmed.

Image credit: Nintendo

Update 2:19pm: Nintendo has just released a seven-minute trailer confirming the 5th August release date and giving players an overview of the content and new mechanics included in Bubbly Basin. 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.

---

Pokémon Pokopia has been an amazing performer for Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Koei Tecmo - on top of a great Switch 2 exclusive for fans and newcomers alike - so of course we're getting substantial content updates and DLC expansions. The first of them, Bubbly Basin, was revealed last month to arrive in August, and now we might have a release date.

As noticed by a number of gaming sites and the game's subreddit, Pokémon Pokopia's Bubbly Basin DLC - as well as the free update that enables players to go underwater and build where they drowned before - is arriving on 5th August.

Expand your Pokémon Pokopia adventure! (Nintendo Switch 2)Watch on YouTube

The twist is the commercial that announced the launch of the expansion pass' first DLC was made private shortly afterwards, suggesting it went up too early. Still, it looks official, and fans are waiting for the actual announcement to go live soon. Just to be safe, let's treat the news as unconfirmed for now.

Over at the discussion megathread for the release date and launch details, folks are already upvoting a gif of Bulbasaur delivering their most iconic line in the game: "Let's get this place HUMID!" It feels like the perfect answer to an announcement, so I'm upvoting it myself too. Don't expect them to dive underwater alongside their water type Pokémon pals, though.

Of course, eagle-eyed fans with big creative ambitions spotted all sorts of new additions beyond the obvious in the now-private spot. "Hype for the Asian temple-style kits," one player said. It's a key new bit of content that seems directly aimed at builders that had already managed to create some beautiful Asian-inspired builds with what the base game already has.

The presence of an excited live-action man in the trailer with a Stunfisk hat also has some fans buzzing. As noted by the reply to the post, the fish-like Pokémon was part of previous leaks, so it's nice to get some sort of confirmation ahead of Bubbly Basin's release. Meanwhile, players are still trying to guess the rough number of new Pokémon that will be added. Confirmed iconic arrivals include Mudkip, Crawdaunt, Staryu, Starmie, and Sharpedo, among others. Water type enjoyers are eating, as the kids say.

With the full announcement around the corner now, we're probably getting a massive deluge of new details, tips, and build ideas in the coming weeks, so now is the perfect time to take a look at our extensive Pokémon Pokopia guides coverage so you're up to speed.

Mentioned in this article