Pokémon Pokopia is heading underwater on August 5, 2026. The free Ver. 2.0.0 update adds Dive and underwater building for every owner, while the paid Expansion Pass opens Bubbly Basin, a separate town packed with new Pokémon, materials, furniture, and requests. This guide separates the free content from the paid content and explains exactly what you need to do before the gate opens.
If you are new to the game, start with the Pokémon Pokopia game page for the basic platform and release details. Returning players can use the checklist below to avoid logging in on launch day and discovering that an unfinished Bleak Beach request is blocking the new area.
Pokémon Pokopia Bubbly Basin release date
Bubbly Basin releases on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2. The date comes from Nintendo’s August 3 announcement and the updated Nintendo store listing. The free Ver. 2.0.0 software update arrives on the same day.
Nintendo has confirmed the date but has not published one worldwide unlock hour. Regional eShop timing can differ, so treat any exact hour that is not shown by Nintendo as an estimate. The safest plan is to update the game on August 5 and check the Downloadable Content menu if Bubbly Basin does not appear immediately.
Free update vs. paid DLC: what everyone gets
The August 5 release has two parts, and the difference matters. You do not need the Expansion Pass to swim and build below the surface. Those abilities belong to the free Ver. 2.0.0 update. The pass is required for the new Bubbly Basin town, its requests, and its exclusive additions.
- Free for every Pokémon Pokopia owner: the Dive move, free underwater movement, underwater building, and the ability to extend creations from land into the water.
- Paid Expansion Pass content: Bubbly Basin, Popplio’s town-development requests, more Pokémon, new furniture, new outfits, an additional Dream Island, watermelons, buoyant blocks, smoothies, and other area-specific features.
- Still required either way: the full Pokémon Pokopia game on Nintendo Switch 2 and the Ver. 2.0.0 update.
The Expansion Pass covers all three planned parts rather than selling Bubbly Basin by itself. Nintendo’s Expansion Pass page says individual parts cannot be purchased separately.
Requirements to start Bubbly Basin
Bubbly Basin is not available from a fresh save. Finish these steps before trying to enter the new town:
- Own Pokémon Pokopia and purchase the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass on the same Nintendo Account you use to play.
- Install the Ver. 2.0.0 free software update when it becomes available on August 5.
- Reach Bleak Beach and complete the important request “Raise the environment level!”
- Unlock the ability to jump and learn Surf. Both are prerequisites for learning Dive.
- Meet Manaphy after the update and learn Dive.
- Use Dive and head to the underwater gate that leads to Bubbly Basin.
If the gate remains closed, check the quest requirement first. The official instructions name the Bleak Beach environment request, Surf, jumping, Dive, the game update, and the Expansion Pass as the pieces that must be in place.
How to learn Dive
Manaphy teaches Dive after Ver. 2.0.0 is installed. To qualify, you must know Surf, be able to jump, and finish “Raise the environment level!” in Bleak Beach. Dive then lets Ditto move freely underwater instead of treating the ocean floor as a short visit.
The free update also lets you build underwater. Nintendo shows paths, crop fields, railway tracks, and structures continuing below the surface, so Dive changes more than movement. It turns previously limited water areas into another layer of the town-building system.
There is one small distinction: everyone can learn Dive, but Nintendo says befriending Manaphy is part of the paid DLC. You can use the move without treating Manaphy as an Expansion Pass reward.
What is new in Bubbly Basin
Bubbly Basin is built around the same relaxed loop as the main game: meet Pokémon, complete requests, collect useful items, and reshape a quiet place into a town that feels personal. The underwater setting changes how those familiar jobs work.
Popplio and a new town to develop
Popplio introduces Ditto to Bubbly Basin. From there, requests from the Pokémon living under the sea move the town forward little by little. This is a real new town, not only a decorative underwater zone, which makes Part 1 the largest piece of the pass revealed so far.
Watermelons and underwater crop fields
Watermelons join the crop list in Bubbly Basin. Underwater seedlings need help from a Pokémon with the Water specialty, such as Mudkip, to receive bubbles filled with air. A Pokémon with the Grow specialty can still speed up the process, so the best farm setup uses both jobs instead of replacing your usual crop helpers.
Buoyant blocks and three-dimensional building
Buoyant blocks allow structures to float at different heights. That gives builders a reason to think vertically instead of laying every road and room on one flat level. You can create suspended platforms, raised paths, or layered neighborhoods that would not make sense on land.
Pokémon able to build underwater can help with these projects. The feature looks especially useful for players who enjoy designing a town around movement and sightlines rather than filling every open square with furniture.
Machines, lighting, outfits, and food
The Generate specialty also gets an underwater use. Pokémon such as Chinchou can power streetlights, bubble machines, and other devices around the town. Bubbly Basin also adds smoothies, new furniture, new outfits for Ditto, more Pokémon, and a power-up for Surf.
These additions are small on their own, but they give the area its own routine. A crop field needs the right helpers, machines need power, and floating builds need a different layout. The paid town should feel less like a blue reskin of an existing map and more like a place with its own rules.
What is coming in Expansion Pass Part 2 and Part 3
Part 2 is scheduled for late 2026. Its main feature is accessories that Ditto and other Pokémon can wear. Nintendo also plans more furniture and Pokémon, but it has clearly stated that Part 2 will not add another town.
Part 3 is planned for 2027 and will add a new town along with more Pokémon and items. Nintendo has not shared the town’s theme or an exact release date yet. That makes Bubbly Basin the only Expansion Pass town with a complete feature list right now.
Is the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass required?
You only need the Expansion Pass if you want to enter Bubbly Basin and receive the paid content from Parts 1 through 3. Players who mainly want to swim, build underwater, or connect land routes to the ocean can try those systems through the free update first.
That split makes the decision simple: update the game for free, test how much you enjoy underwater building, and buy the pass if the new town, requests, Pokémon, and future parts feel worth adding to your save. The individual parts are not sold separately, so there is no Bubbly Basin-only purchase option.
Bubbly Basin FAQ
What time does Bubbly Basin release?
Nintendo confirms August 5, 2026, but its official pages do not list one global launch hour. Check for the Ver. 2.0.0 update and DLC access on that date. Avoid assuming that a time posted for one region applies everywhere.
Can I use Dive without buying the Expansion Pass?
Yes. Dive and underwater building are part of the free Ver. 2.0.0 update for all Pokémon Pokopia owners. The pass is needed for the Bubbly Basin town and its paid content.
Why can’t I enter Bubbly Basin?
Confirm that the game is updated, the Expansion Pass is owned by the correct account, “Raise the environment level!” is complete in Bleak Beach, and Ditto knows Dive. Learning Dive also requires Surf and the ability to jump.
Can I buy only Bubbly Basin?
No. Nintendo sells one Expansion Pass containing Parts 1, 2, and 3. The parts are not available as separate purchases.
Does Part 2 add another town?
No. Part 2 focuses on accessories, Pokémon, and furniture. Nintendo plans the next new town for Part 3 in 2027.
What to do before August 5
Finish the Bleak Beach environment request, make sure Surf and jumping are unlocked, and leave the game ready to update. That preparation should take care of the only progression gates Nintendo has named.
For more Pokémon coverage, see the Pokémon GO LEGO event guide and the breakdown of every LEGO Pokémon set released on August 1. Both are separate from Pokopia, but they cover the other major Pokémon releases arriving around the same week.
