Nintendo revealed a free software update and paid DLC roadmap for Pokemon Pokopia during its June 9 Direct presentation. The developer confirmed that the August 2026 patch will add the Dive move, which unlocks ocean floor exploration and allows players to expand underwater towns. This content expands on the life-sim spin-off that launched earlier this year on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo reveals a free August patch adding the Dive move alongside a three-part Expansion Pass for the Nintendo Switch 2 life-sim game.
Pokémon Pokopia is a key game in the Nintendo Switch 2 catalog since it launched with the console. Players manage resources and construct towns in a living, simulated world. Interactions with nature help players keep the environment balanced as they explore various regions.
The free update arrives in August 2026 and centers entirely on the new Dive mechanic. Dive allows characters to swim through ocean floors and access previously unreachable areas. This feature directly enables expansion of existing underwater settlements into deeper zones.
Nintendo also announced a paid Expansion Pass available starting June 9. The pass breaks content into three separate parts rather than selling them individually. Part one, titled Bubbly Basin, releases alongside the August Dive update and requires players to complete the Raise the environment level! request in Bleak Beach first. Parts two and three add new features later in 2026 and introduce another town in 2027 respectively.
The Expansion Pass structure forces buyers to purchase all content at once instead of selecting individual chapters. This approach allows Nintendo to deliver a cohesive story that unfolds gradually over time. Nintendo states that this strategy keeps the game's story connected throughout all three planned parts.
Source: Pokemon Pokopia DLC, DEXERTO
