Pokemon Pokopia is officially getting bigger with a brand new free update and expansion pass. After the latest Nintendo Direct on June 9, we finally got our first look at the Bubbly Basin expansion, and there is a lot to go over.
This new update looks like it could make Pokemon Pokopia even bigger than originally expected. Not only are players getting the ability to explore underwater, but there is also a new town, new Pokemon, new furniture, new outfits and more coming with the paid DLC.
Here is a full breakdown of what was revealed for Pokemon Pokopia and the Bubbly Basin expansion.
You can watch our video with more information about the Pokemon Pokopia Bubbly Basin Expansion below as well.
Pokemon Pokopia Bubbly Basin REVEALED! Full Trailer Breakdown
One of the biggest parts of the reveal is that Pokemon Pokopia is getting a free software update that lets players explore beneath the sea.
The trailer showed Ditto looking out at the water before creating a bubble around its head and jumping right in. This looks like it starts near the Bleak Beach area, and from there, players can explore the ocean floor.
This is a big deal because it is not part of the paid DLC. It looks like this underwater feature is being added to the base game for free.
That means players should be able to enjoy exploring underwater, planting underwater grass and expanding their towns beneath the sea without having to pay for the expansion pass.
The underwater areas look really interesting already. The trailer showed Pokemon like Azumarill, Piplup, Psyduck, Vaporeon, Magikarp, Tatsugiri and Poliwag all appearing beneath the water.
There also seemed to be what looked like an underwater cavern or another hidden area. It could be something completely new, or it could be part of an area already in the game that is now expanded with this update.
Either way, the ability to go underwater should make the world feel much bigger.
Players will be able to do everything they already do on land, but now it looks like they can also build and explore below the surface. That should give Water-type Pokemon like Magikarp and others more room and more places to be used in the game.
There was even a Pokemon Center shown underwater, which makes the whole area feel almost like an Atlantis-style version of Pokemon Pokopia.
The paid DLC introduces a new town called Bubbly Basin.
Bubbly Basin looks like a full new underwater area with new furniture, new outfits and new Pokemon. Popplio and Mudkip were both shown, which seems to be their first time appearing in Pokemon Pokopia.
Corphish was also shown in the area, and there was a Wugtrio carpet that could hint at Wugtrio being included in some form as well.
Bubbly Basin looks like it will be a pretty large new area. It seems like it could be similar to the other major areas already in the game, with new Pokemon to find, new things to build and possibly more story to uncover.
The name Bubbly Basin is also just a fun name for this kind of underwater town.
Bubbly Basin is scheduled to release in August.
The expansion pass appears to be available to buy now, but Bubbly Basin itself will not be playable until August. The underwater free update may already be available or tied closely to the launch of the expansion pass, but the new town is coming later.
In order to begin Bubbly Basin, players will need to complete the request to raise the environment level in Bleak Beach.
That makes it seem like Bubbly Basin will be connected to Bleak Beach, which could also mean it is tied to the Vermilion City area in some way. It may just be a new underwater town that was hidden in the Kanto region.
The expansion pass will have multiple parts.
Bubbly Basin is the first major new town coming in August. There will also be another part later this year, and then an additional new town coming in 2027.
It is important to note that the new town will not be added in Part 2. Part 2 will include additional features, but the next new town is coming with Part 3 in 2027.
That 2027 release could potentially line up with Pokemon Day in February 2027. That would make sense if they want to make another big announcement or launch around that time.
Players also cannot buy the DLC parts separately. They will need to buy the full expansion pass and have the full game in order to access the new content.
Players who buy the expansion pass can also get some bonuses.
One of the bonuses shown was a Dynamic Ditto print recipe, which lets players use a Ditto-themed wallpaper. It is a pretty funny-looking wallpaper, but it fits the style of Pokemon Pokopia.
Rare Poke Medals were also shown as part of the bonus content, and those are obviously very useful in the game.
There was also what looked like a small Manaphy-like Pokemon or character teased at the end. It is hard to say exactly what it is yet, but it definitely looks like something worth keeping an eye on.
There has not been an official price revealed yet, but a reasonable guess would be somewhere between $20 and $30 USD.
That would make sense because the expansion pass includes at least two new areas, new towns, new Pokemon, new furniture, new outfits and additional features.
The dive feature itself looks like it is part of the free update, so the paid value is likely going to come from Bubbly Basin, the 2027 town and whatever else is added between them.
If Bubbly Basin adds around four to five hours of gameplay for a lot of players, then the full expansion pass could end up being a pretty strong addition to the game.
The biggest takeaway from this reveal is that Pokemon Pokopia may be much bigger than originally expected.
Adding new towns and new areas makes it feel like this game is not just getting a small update. It feels like Pokemon Pokopia could be something that lasts beyond 2027.
The game has clearly been popular, and this expansion pass makes it seem like Pokemon, Nintendo and Koei Tecmo may see this as a real long-term franchise.
It would not be surprising if they eventually made a Pokemon Pokopia 2. They could take the same idea and move it to Johto or another region. The idea of seeing what the world looks like in different Pokemon regions through this style of game could work really well.
If Pokemon Pokopia continues to sell well and continues to be fun, then it feels very possible that this becomes more than just one game with DLC.
Bubbly Basin could also add a lot of new Pokemon to the game.
Based on what was shown, it would not be surprising if Bubbly Basin adds somewhere around 20 to 40 new Pokemon. Even with that, Pokemon Pokopia would still have plenty of room to grow.
For players who want to look through every Pokemon that could eventually be added, The Game Haus has a full National Pokedex with guides, stats, types, evolutions, weaknesses, locations and moves for all 1,025 Pokemon.
With Gen 10 coming next year, there will likely be even more new Pokemon added to the franchise. That gives Pokemon Pokopia a lot of options for future updates, future DLC and possibly future games.
There are so many Pokemon that can still be added, along with new forms, new areas and new features.
Overall, the Pokemon Pokopia Bubbly Basin expansion looks like a really strong step forward for the game.
The free underwater update is already a major addition, and the paid expansion pass should give players even more to do. Bubbly Basin looks like a fun new area, and the idea of more towns coming later makes the future of Pokemon Pokopia much more exciting.
This update feels like the beginning of something bigger for Pokemon Pokopia. If this expansion pass does well, it would not be surprising to see even more DLC or a full sequel in the future.
For more Pokemon Pokopia guides, check out the Pokemon Pokopia Habitat Guide. For competitive Pokemon coverage, builds and tier lists, visit the Pokemon Champions hub.
For now, Bubbly Basin looks like it should give Pokemon Pokopia players plenty to explore when it arrives in August.
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