Pokémon Pokopia just received its largest update since launch, and Version 2.0.0 is a substantial one. Released on August 4, 2026, the patch arrives alongside the Bubbly Basin DLC (Part 1 of the Expansion Pass) and brings close to 100 individual changes spanning new features, quality-of-life improvements, and bug fixes. Pokopia has already sold 4 million copies and sits among the top-performing Switch 2 titles, so Nintendo clearly has long-term plans for the game. Here's every change worth knowing about.
What's new in Version 2.0.0?
The headline addition is Dive, a new move that lets you move freely underwater. To learn it, you need to already know Surf and complete the "Raise the environment level!" request at Bleak Beach. Once you have Dive, the Build specialty can be used to construct houses underwater, which ties directly into the new Bubbly Basin DLC content.
Beyond Dive, the update adds a handful of genuinely useful items and cosmetics:
- Portal pod and safe (recipes purchasable after raising Palette Town's environment level)
- Dynamic Ditto print pattern (talk to Smearguru after earning the diploma)
- Two new emotes: Lie Down and Ready, Set, Go! (found at Bleak Beach and Dream Islands)
- Five new hair colors: orange, light pink, yellow-green, blue-green, and brown
Dive unlocks full underwater play
The paintable items list also expanded significantly. You can now paint the stylish stool, handrail, metal chain, workbench, vending machine, bike, bookcase, Pokémon Center counter, arrow sign, and rope.
What quality-of-life improvements does 2.0.0 bring?
This is where the update earns its size. The improvements list is long and touches almost every system in the game.
Movement and exploration
Pokémon companions can now follow you while using Surf, Glide, Rollout, or Magnet Rise, which was a noticeable gap in the base game. Rollout got several upgrades: you can inhale items and open your bag mid-roll, and it can now destroy large boulders. Surf can be activated on land by holding the focus button and pressing Surf, and both Surf and Waterfall trigger more smoothly. Strength now works underwater, and Leafage can revert farm soil back to a normal soil block.
Rollout now clears large boulders
Building and crafting
The power generator placement cap doubled from 64 to 128 (furnaces excluded). Photo display slots in a town jumped from 10 to 40. Crafting now pulls materials from the storage box next to the workbench before touching your bag, which saves a lot of manual shuffling. The 3D Printer now gives clearer messaging when you're short on materials.
Pokémon not assigned to the Build role during construction can now help with cooking, so your crew stays productive. Buildings with items like the Ditto Flag attached to roofs or walls now clearly show they can still be remodeled.
Pokémon behavior and interactions
If you destroy a Pokémon's habitat and rebuild it in roughly the same area, they'll move back in. Pokémon that got upset over removed furniture now notice replacements faster. The emote response system got a nice touch: Pokémon that taught you an emote will now mirror it back when you use it around them. Conversation indicators were thinned out so special requests and Ditto-directed dialogue stand out more clearly.
The Pokédex now has an All tab (same for the Habitat Dex), and if a Pokémon you're searching for is in another town, you can travel there directly via Return Home.
Water and liquid mechanics
The liquid system got cleaner. Holding the move button briefly while sucking up liquid keeps it in Ditto's mouth without removing it from the environment. Released water now auto-matches nearby water levels. Certain roof items block water, which matters for anyone building near water sources. Tidal Bell and Clear Bell can now be triggered by laser sensors and switches.
Water levels now auto-adjust
Interface and settings
Two new settings options landed: one hides the Magnet Rise cancellation confirmation message, and another lets you move while the move wheel is open. Motion-sickness reduction settings were added for the camera. Bulk item transfer between your storage box and bag is now possible, and you can delete items from inside objects like the garbage bin. Depth placement for windows and doors got finer control. The hide-and-sneak action can now be canceled mid-sequence.
For builders, items can now be placed on top of square plants, and the game makes it clearer when and why certain build or relocation actions aren't available.
What bugs were fixed?
The fixes list covers 25 confirmed issues. Several are worth calling out specifically:
- Suicune and Gholdengo were sometimes unable to cross water, which is now resolved
- Pokémon assigned to building construction occasionally blocked the "Follow me!" option from appearing
- Honey sometimes failed to bring Pokémon back to their habitats
- Magnet Rise was occasionally triggering Pokémon scolding behavior incorrectly
- Pokémon requests could ask for items the requesting Pokémon actually dislikes (that's a rough one)
- Painting bugs: items consuming more paint than intended, surface light colors not updating, and unpaintable areas being paintable through specific steps
- A duplicate party cooking pot exploit under specific conditions
- Dream Island loading failures and incorrect post-Dream-Island teleportation to Palette Town
- Cloud Island multiplayer issues including non-admins placing relocation kits and building becoming stuck
- Rock Smash while falling displacing Ditto's position significantly
- Quest-specific bugs in Withered Wasteland (Slowpoke stopping mid-request) and Sparkling Skylands (Tinkmaster tracking and progression issues)
- Gender pronoun display errors on the Cloud Island loading screen in some languages
Pokédex All tab now live
What comes with the Bubbly Basin DLC?
Version 2.0.0 launched alongside Bubbly Basin, Part 1 of the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass. The Expansion Pass costs $34.99 and includes Part 2 (later in 2026) and Part 3 (2027). The underwater building mechanics added in this free update are clearly designed to support Bubbly Basin's content, so even free players benefit from the Dive and underwater construction additions. For a full list of Pokémon included in the DLC, check out our Bubbly Basin Pokémon guide.
If you're still getting your footing with core systems, the Pokémon Pokopia beginner's guide covers everything from early progression to island building fundamentals. For a deeper look at how the game holds up overall, read our Pokémon Pokopia review. And for all guides covering mechanics, items, and secrets, browse the full Pokémon Pokopia guide collection.