The Pokémon Company announced during the 2026 Nintendo Direct that Pokémon Pokopia is receiving free DLC in August 2026, along with a series of paid content injections available through an Expansion Pass.
Fans have been expecting Pokémon Pokopia to receive DLC since launch. This was due to the game being set in the Kanto region, but missing several key locations, such as Lavender Town. An early leak also claimed that big chunks of Kanto were being saved for a DLC expansion, though they didn’t know the form it would take.
Pokémon Pokopia DLC Lets Players Dive Beneath The Waves
The June 2026 Nintendo Direct was light on Pokémon reveals, with Pokémon Winds & Waves not launching until next year, and no new updates for Pokémon Champions on the horizon. However, fans did get a trailer for the first round of Pokémon Pokopia DLC, where Ditto was able to explore beneath the water.
In August 2026, a free update will be released that adds Dive to the game, allowing players to build and grow plants on the ocean floor. They can be joined by Pokémon, though the only ones shown in the trailer are Water-types, which makes sense, as they’re the ones most likely to be able to breathe in that environment.
The trailer ended with an appearance from Manaphy, one of the Mythical Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, who will likely play a role in the story of the new content. As Pokémon Pokopia isn’t as serious as other entries, it’ll likely just show up to hang out in the player’s underwater town.
WeaknessGx2
Retreat Cost1
ResistanceNone
HP70
StageBasic
[W] Marine Guidance
Search your deck for a Water Pokemon, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward.
[WW] Aqua Ring (30)
Switch this Pokemon with 1 of your Benched Pokemon.
The Pokémon Pokopia DLC Kicks Off In August
The Dive update will launch alongside content that’s being added in the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass, which will periodically add new content. The first of these is Bubbly Basin, a new underwater town to explore. The second update is launching later in 2026, and it adds new features to the game, though the trailer specifies that it won’t be adding any towns. The third update is coming in 2027, and it will add a new town to Pokémon Pokopia.
It’s possible to purchase the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass now, but there’s not much point. The only benefits are some Ditto-themed wallpaper/decorations and some Pokemetal slabs. It might be best to hold off until the DLC is actually close to releasing before spending any money.
It’s surprising that Pokémon Pokopia DLC is going in a new direction, as the Kanto region was created before the Dive HM was introduced to the franchise, meaning it had no significant underwater areas. It’s possible that the environmental damage caused to the land resulted in a town sinking beneath the waves, meaning it could be a familiar location, but one that was cast beneath the waves.