Pokopia players who have been staring at underwater resources they cannot reach finally have a calendar. Japanese promotional materials circulating this week put Expansion Pass Part 1, Bubbly Basin, on August 5, 2026. The Pokémon Company's English pages still list the broader window as August 2026, so treat the fifth as the day the ads are selling until the eShop flips to a hard timestamp.
Free Dive vs paid Bubbly Basin
Do not mix these up. Pokémon Company's June press release and the official expansion page split the water drop in two:
Version 2.0 (free, August 2026): Ditto learns Dive so you can explore underwater in the base game.
Bubbly Basin (paid Expansion Pass Part 1): a new underwater town with sea-floor furniture, new Ditto outfits, and underwater Pokémon residents (Direct footage highlighted water starters such as Mudkip and Popplio).
You do not need the Expansion Pass to Dive in existing areas. You do need Dive (and a story gate) to start Bubbly Basin.
Unlock checklist before August
Official notes are specific. To begin Bubbly Basin you must:
Own Pokémon Pokopia on Switch 2 and the Expansion Pass.
Install the free Version 2.0 update when it drops.
Complete the Bleak Beach request "Raise the environment level!"
Learn Dive (requires jump ability and Surf, per the press footnotes).
Skip any of those and the new town stays locked even if your receipt is paid.
Expansion Pass map and price
| Pack | Window | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Ditto bonus | With pass purchase | Dynamic Ditto print blocks / wallpaper recipe |
| Part 1: Bubbly Basin | August 2026 (ads: Aug 5) | Underwater town + related content |
| Part 2 | Late 2026 | Additional features (no new town) |
| Part 3 | 2027 | Another new town |
The full Expansion Pass is the buy path. English storefronts have listed it around $34.99. Parts are not sold a la carte in the current pitch. Buy by August 31, 2027 and Pokémon Company still advertises a Mystery Gift code for 30 rare Pokémetal ingots emailed to your Nintendo Account.
Nintendo of America's Direct reel is still the cleanest public look at the underwater fantasy:
Dive deeper into Pokémon paradise with the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass paid DLC and Version 2.0 update
That line is from the June 9, 2026 Pokémon Company North America press note.
What to do this week
Finish Bleak Beach environment work, keep Surf and jump ready, and wishlist or buy the Expansion Pass on the Nintendo eShop if you want Bubbly Basin day one. Follow the Pokémon Pokopia hub and the gaming feed when Version 2.0 hits the download queue.