Pokémon Pokopia DLC is set to arrive on August 26, 2026, and Nintendo is splitting the rollout in two: a free underwater update and a paid expansion pass for the bigger additions. The free part will let players swim under existing water locations in the Switch 2 game, while the expansion pass opens up new content that goes beyond the base update.
The DLC was revealed during the June 9 Nintendo Direct, giving players a first look at how Pokémon Pokopia will expand after its earlier 2026 launch. The paid side of the package is where the larger changes sit. Bubbly Basin, the new town tied to the expansion pass, brings a new city region map, furniture, outfits and additional Pokémon, including Popplio, Mudkip and Corphish.
That split is the key detail for players deciding whether to wait or pay up. The Dive move update is free in August 2026, but the new city region and extra Pokémon are locked behind the expansion pass, which will cost money. Nintendo has not said how much it will charge, leaving the full price question open even as the release date is now fixed.
The expansion itself is scheduled to arrive in three parts, with the first Bubbly Basin add-on due in August 2026 and two more updates planned for late 2026 and 2027. For now, the most immediate change is the free underwater travel, but the larger draw is still being held back for the paid rollout that follows later this year and into next.
For Pokémon Pokopia players on Switch 2, the next milestone is clear: August 26 brings the release date, the free Dive update and the first wave of the expansion pass. What remains unsettled is how much the rest of Bubbly Basin will cost and how Nintendo will pace the final two updates after the launch month.
