Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass Extended Trailer Breaks Down Bubbly Basin

The Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass just got its most detailed look yet. The Pokémon Company dropped an extended overview trailer today covering Part 1 of the Expansion Pass in full, and tacked on a first peek at Part 2 for good measure. Part 1, titled Bubbly Basin, launches on Switch 2 on August 5, 2026.

Pokémon Pokopia has been one of the standout Switch 2 releases since its March 2026 debut, and this trailer makes a strong case for why players who drifted away after the credits should come back.

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What the free update adds before you spend a cent

Before getting into the paid content, the trailer opens with a brief look at a free software update dropping alongside the DLC on August 5. The headliner there is Ditto's new Dive ability, which opens up underwater building for everyone, not just Expansion Pass owners. It's a smart move. Players get a taste of the new vertical dimension, and the DLC then gives them somewhere worth building in.

That's the full extent of the free side. Everything else sits behind the Expansion Pass.

Bubbly Basin: what's actually new

The Bubbly Basin area is the main event for Part 1, and the trailer goes properly deep on it. The new locale is a fully underwater town, which means the building rules change. Plants now require air pockets to grow, and there are new floating block types that hover above the seafloor rather than stacking on solid ground. It's a meaningful shift from the base game's building systems, not just a reskin of existing mechanics.

The new Pokémon roster for Bubbly Basin is where things get exciting for collectors. The trailer confirms Popplio, Totodile, and Mudkip as additions, alongside Primarina, Golisopod, Dhelmise, Milotic, and Frillish. Players spotted Primarina swimming in the footage, which sent a portion of the fanbase into a minor spiral given how beloved the Popplio line is.

You can also live inside a Sharpedo submarine. That detail alone has been doing the rounds since the trailer dropped.

The trailer also shows off a range of exclusive furniture and items available only in the DLC, continuing the game's pattern of making each area feel worth decorating on its own terms. If you want the full rundown on which items are worth prioritizing from day one, our best items to buy first guide covers exactly that.

Part 2 gets its first glimpse

The trailer doesn't stop at Part 1. The final section gives a brief but concrete look at Expansion Pass Part 2, which is currently scheduled for late 2026. Here's the thing: Part 2 won't add a new town. That's a notable departure from what Part 1 delivers.

What it does add is accessories. Players will be able to dress their Pokémon in hats, ties, and other cosmetic items, with Snubbull confirmed as a new addition in this wave. The Pokémon Company has said more details on Parts 2 and 3 will follow in the coming months.

Part 3 is currently slated for 2027. The background art shown for it features green tones with balloons and pennants, which has players guessing at a festival or celebration theme rather than the winter/ice setting some expected.

Before vs. after: how the DLC changes the game

The base game of Pokopia already had a sky region and multiple distinct biomes, so Bubbly Basin isn't filling a gap so much as adding a genuinely different environment with its own rules. Underwater building with air-dependent farming and floating blocks is a bigger mechanical addition than it might sound on paper.

For players who finished the main story and stepped away, the expansion gives a clear reason to return. For anyone still working through the base game, the free Dive ability update means August 5 brings something regardless of whether you own the pass.

The three-part rollout across 2026 and into 2027 does mean committing to a long content drip. Some players are planning to wait until all three parts are out before diving back in, which is a reasonable approach given how absorbing the game gets once you're deep in a build project. For everyone else, our full Pokémon Pokopia Pokopia guides collection has everything you need to hit the ground running when Bubbly Basin opens on August 5.