- Primary Subject: Pokémon Pokopia (Version 2.0 / Bubbly Basin Expansion Pass)
- Key Update: Formally unveiled during the June 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct, the game will receive a free Version 2.0 software update introducing the "Dive" mechanic this August, alongside a controversial, paid three-part Expansion Pass.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: June 10, 2026
- Quick Answer: The Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass is a paid $34.99 digital add-on split into three parts, unlocking exclusive furniture, outfits, and towns starting August 2026.
The most recent Nintendo Direct gave us a slew of magnificent news that made many fans happy. This is especially true for those who are particularly fond of Pokemon Pokopia, as it was announced that the game would eventually receive a free update that expands players' building potential within bodies of water.
This is something that many have been asking for quite a while, and it's great that they're finally getting it. It was also announced that they should look forward to the new town, furniture, outfits, and Pokemon that are based around the aquatic update. However, as exciting as all that sounds, there is only one problem: you need to pay for them.
While the ability to dive and make creations within deep waters will come free, everything else will be locked behind an expansion pass. The reason for this is that major content updates will be divided into three parts, with the first involving underwater changes, and the rest being surprises. Given how much they affect the overall game, Nintendo took it as an opportunity to lock several important aspects of each and sell them off as bonuses to those who really want them.
I believe that doing so is a mistake, and that all the content should have been made available for free with every update instead of being locked behind paid DLC. One good reason is that instead of being happy about what's coming, fans will view the updates as a predatory way of extracting more from them.
People have already spent a sizeable amount of their hard-earned money on both Pokopia and a Switch 2, and given the steep price, the expected return in the form of hours of fun should be just as much. There's no doubt that the game has more than delivered, and with even more improvements along the way, it essentially guarantees that players will stick around and continue playing.
But because of the expansion pack, that can easily change. Prior to the announcement, everything that can be accessed in Pokopia can be done so for free, which includes furniture items, Pokemon, and areas to explore. This was good, as it essentially meant that nobody would miss out on anything and that everyone would have the same experience.
That won't be true as soon as the expansion pass bonuses kick in, as by that point, some players will have access to additional content, while others will be stuck with what the base game provides. This can turn off fans, as the paid DLC could have easily been part of the free updates, but instead, it's used as a way to capitalize on the fear of missing out.
There's no doubt that there will be people who will give in and purchase the expansion pass to avoid not getting the full experience, but the idea that you need to pay to do so can put Pokopia in a rather bad light. The game will still be enjoyable even if players choose not to get the DLC, but it's entirely possible that, due to the rather greedy intent behind it, it could lead some to quit the game altogether.
However, if that's what could happen due to the exploitative intent of locking behind content via the expansion pass, the exact opposite effect is also possible if everything came together with the free updates instead. If the game had headed in that direction and not the one it's currently taking, the news would have greatly excited current fans and perhaps even caught the attention of those who have never even considered getting Pokopia.
The game isn't for everyone, that much is true, but even someone who isn't particularly fond of it or the genre it belongs to may be swayed enough to give it a try if it shows that it won't stop at nothing to please its players. And if that happens and such people find themselves liking what Pokopia has to offer, that can come with another great benefit: turning them into real fans of the franchise.
Should that be the case, there would be even more people who could get into the main series or even the spin-offs, guaranteeing the growth of Pokemon's audience and further cementing its future as a mainstay in the video game industry. Because of that, I find it disappointing that Pokopia is forced to have an expansion pass, as such a great benefit to the series would be less likely due to the greedy practice of paywalling content that should have come with the game.
Again, Pokopia is still a great game even if you choose not to purchase the DLC, but the fact that you need to buy it to get the best experience possible is the biggest mistake the game could have made. Having everything come for free could have done so much for it and the franchise as a whole, but since the expansion pass is a thing, it will be interesting to see how it affects the overall perception of both current and potential players, and whether they'll be willing to shell out more money or not.
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