Pokemon Pokopia Expansion Pass Part 1: Bubbly Basin and the Ver. 2.0.0 free software update will both arrive on 5 August, giving players a paid expansion and a free system-wide add-on on the same day. Nintendo said the update must be installed before Bubbly Basin can be played.
That makes 5 August the first real checkpoint for players following the Pokemon Pokopia DLC rollout. The free update is not just housekeeping: it unlocks Dive, and Dive lets players move around and build underwater, which is the basic requirement for getting into the new content.
Bubbly Basin adds an entirely new underwater area, along with an additional Dream Island, new furniture items and watermelons in the available food. It also adds several mechanics tied to the underwater setting. Seedlings in underwater crop fields can grow if a Pokémon with the Water specialty covers them with bubbles to provide air, while a Pokémon with the Grow specialty can help speed up crop growth. Buoyant Blocks let players build floating structures at different underwater levels, and Pokémon with the Generate specialty can power Bubble Machines, which produce bubbles when switched on.
The odd part is that the paid expansion depends on a free update before anyone can start it. Players will need the Ver. 2.0.0 update first, and they also need to complete the request “Raise the environment level!” in Bleak Beach before beginning Bubbly Basin. Nintendo has left one bigger question hanging, too: the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass contains Parts 1 through 3, but only Parts 1 and 2 have been described so far.
Part 2 is due in late 2026 and will let players dress up alongside other Pokémon by wearing accessories. It will also add additional furniture pieces and Pokémon, but no new town. For now, the immediate story is simpler: on 5 August, Pokemon Pokopia gets a free update for everyone and a paid underwater expansion for those ready to install it and move on.
