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.
