The Pokémon Company will release Bubbly Basin, the first paid add-on for the game Pokémon Pokopia, on August 5. A free update arriving the same day adds a new move called Dive to everyone who plays the game, whether or not they buy the add-on (Gematsu).

Bubbly Basin introduces an underwater area that players reach using the Dive move. The underwater zone looks like the ruins of Cerulean City, a place longtime Pokémon fans will remember from the original Game Boy games. The add-on also adds floating blocks that let players build in three dimensions underwater, plus a new crop to grow: watermelon (Engadget).

There is a catch in how the content is sold. Bubbly Basin cannot be bought on its own. It is available only through the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass, which costs $35 and includes all three planned add-on releases. Part 2 is scheduled for late 2026, with Part 3 details still to be announced (Pokémon official expansion page). Expansion Pass buyers also receive bonus recipes and 30 rare Pokémetal ingots right away.

The Dive move, however, is free for everyone. Any player will have access to it when the August 5 update goes live, not just those who buy the pass. This is a common approach in the games industry: charge for the new area, but give the movement ability that gets you there to everyone, so the player community does not split into those who can go underwater and those who cannot.

Pokémon Pokopia launched on March 5, 2026 as a game exclusive to Nintendo's new console, the Switch 2 (Pokémon official news). It is a life simulation game where players take on the role of a Ditto, a Pokémon known for its ability to change shape (Pokémon official site). The game comes in both physical and digital formats, while the Expansion Pass is digital-only (Nintendo UK store; Nintendo US store).

A Nintendo Switch 2 bundled with Pokémon Pokopia went on sale on July 23, 2026, about two weeks before the Bubbly Basin announcement (Nintendo). The Pokémon Company formally announced Part 1 of the Expansion Pass on July 29, 2026 (Pokémon press release).

The timing is no accident. A hardware bundle aimed at new players comes first, growing the number of people who own the game. Then the first paid add-on arrives, giving those new players and the ones who bought the game back in March a reason to spend more. With three add-ons planned under one $35 pass and Part 2 coming before the end of 2026, The Pokémon Company is building a schedule that keeps the game in players' hands through at least the end of this year and likely into 2027.

The underwater building mechanics are the most interesting part for anyone who follows how games are designed. Floating blocks that work in a three-dimensional underwater space suggest the game's physics system handles buoyancy, water resistance, and gravity all at once. Life simulation games with building features have traditionally struggled with underwater construction because the physics gets complicated fast. If Pokopia handles this well, it would be a genuine step forward for the genre.

The free Dive move also matters for multiplayer. If Pokopia lets players visit each other's creations, as similar games do, having Dive available to everyone means underwater builds could be visited by any player, not just paying ones. That keeps the community connected while still giving pass holders their exclusive content.

For a game that has been out less than five months, the first major content is arriving quickly. The August 5 launch gives The Pokémon Company a summer boost, with Part 2 following before year-end. Whether three add-ons over roughly twelve months will satisfy players or stretch the development team is a question only the release schedule will answer.