Updated

Updated · Polygon · Jun 9

Nintendo Launches Pokopia's Bubbly Basin DLC Today, Adding 1st Paid Expansion as Free Update Nears

Updated

Updated · Polygon · Jun 9

Nintendo Launches Pokopia's Bubbly Basin DLC Today, Adding 1st Paid Expansion as Free Update Nears

Q: How will underwater building change Pokopia for players who don't buy the paid Bubbly Basin expansion?

Players who skip the paid Bubbly Basin expansion will still get the biggest gameplay change: underwater exploration and building become part of the base game through Pokopia’s free Version 2.0 update in August. That means non-paying players can use Ditto’s new Dive ability to go below the surface in existing parts of the world, including waters near areas such as Bleak Beach and Withered Wasteland. Once underwater, they will be able to place structures, plant grass and crops, and use the game’s normal building tools beneath the sea. In practical terms, Pokopia’s building sandbox expands from land-based towns into underwater spaces, opening new design options even without buying DLC. The free update also appears set to add water-themed decorations and underwater interaction with some Water Pokémon in those existing zones, making the change more than just movement. For players focused on creativity, it effectively adds a new layer to the map and a new style of settlement-building. What non-buyers will miss is the paid expansion’s exclusive content: the new Bubbly Basin area and town, its specific Pokémon lineup, themed outfits and furniture, and later expansion waves. Access to the underwater mechanics also requires players to complete the “Raise the environment level” quest in Bleak Beach and install the August update.

Q: Pokopia’s new Dive ability is free. Is the $35 expansion pass just an expensive new neighborhood?

No. The free Dive ability means the expansion pass is not charging players just to go underwater, but $34.99 is still a premium price for what is, so far, mostly future content. The key split is this: August’s free Version 2.0 update gives every player Dive, letting them explore underwater, build on the seafloor, plant grass, and create underwater towns. The paid Expansion Pass does not unlock that core mechanic. What it adds is exclusive content built around it, starting with Bubbly Basin, a new underwater area and town with Water Pokémon such as Popplio, Mudkip, Vaporeon, Magikarp, Poliwag, and Corphish, plus themed furniture and outfits. That makes the pass more than “just an expensive new neighborhood,” because it is a three-part DLC plan. Part 1 arrives in August, Part 2 is due later in 2026 with another new town and added features, and Part 3 is planned for 2027. Buyers also get a Ditto-print recipe and a limited-time bonus code for rare Pokémetal ingots, though those materials can also be earned in normal play. The real question is value. Right now, players are being asked to pay upfront for one named area and two later waves that remain lightly detailed. So the pass is not merely selling Dive, and not merely selling one neighborhood, but it is asking a full DLC price before most of its content has been shown.

3 articles · Updated · Polygon · Jun 9

Bubbly Basin, the first paid piece of Pokémon Pokopia's expansion pass, is live now and opens a new underwater-themed area for the building game.
Nintendo paired that launch with a free August 2026 update that adds Dive, underwater building options and water-themed decorations, letting Ditto interact with creatures such as Vaporeon, Magikarp and Poliwag.
Players must complete the "Raise the environment level" quest in Bleak Beach and download a software update to access Bubbly Basin.
The broader expansion pass also promises a new town, more furniture, outfits and Pokémon including Popplio and Mudkip, with later content scheduled for late 2026 and 2027.
The rollout gives fans an earlier underwater experience while Pokémon Winds and Waves — another ocean-focused game with underwater exploration — remains slated for 2027.