# Pokémon Pokopia’s Bubbly Basin DLC Leak Points to an Underwater Makeover as Soon as Next Week

By Rafiqul Islam Rabbi · Gaming · Published Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:17:09 GMT · Updated Wed, 29 Jul 2026 20:17:09 GMT
Source: The Current Tribune — https://currenttribune.com/article/pokemon-pokopia-bubbly-basin-dlc

Pokémon Pokopia is about to get a lot wetter. A now-private commercial appears to have leaked a 5th August launch for the game’s first big add-on, the Bubbly Basin DLC, along with a major free update that finally lets players build underwater. For a Minecraft-like life sim that’s already a sprawling sandbox, this could be its biggest shake-up yet.

## Bubbly Basin: Pokémon Pokopia’s First Big Expansion

Pokémon Pokopia’s Bubbly Basin DLC is the debut chapter of the game’s paid expansion pass, and it looks like it’s dropping sooner than many expected. The spot, briefly posted and then yanked, clearly called out a 5th August release window for both Bubbly Basin and the free update that underpins it. With the video quickly made private, there’s every chance the date went live before Nintendo and The Pokémon Company were ready to push the button.

Until there’s an official announcement, that 5th August date has to be treated as unconfirmed. But the trailer itself looked polished and final, and the timing lines up neatly with the previously announced August window for the expansion.

The DLC is set to build on what’s already made Pokémon Pokopia a surprise hit on Switch 2: a mix of relaxed life sim pacing, deep building tools, and a huge cast of Pokémon wandering around your custom-made settlements. Bubbly Basin looks like it doubles down on that formula rather than trying to turn the game into a more traditional RPG.

## Underwater Building Comes to Pokémon Pokopia

The real headline for most players isn’t just the new area, but the systems it brings with it. Alongside the paid expansion, Pokémon Pokopia is getting a free underwater-themed update that fundamentally changes how you can shape the world.

Right now, drowning in Pokopia is a hard stop. The update flips that on its head, letting you actually head beneath the surface and build where your character would previously have met an untimely, soggy end. For a community that’s already spent months pushing the building tools to their limits, being able to construct bases, walkways, and entire cities under the waves is a massive deal.

It’s easy to see why this has builders so fired up. Underwater zones have been a staple of Pokémon and countless other games for decades, but they’re usually tightly controlled levels. Here, you’re looking at a system that folds those depths into the same endlessly remixable sandbox where everything else in Pokopia lives.

## New Pokémon Make a Splash

Bubbly Basin isn’t just about new tools and building rules. The commercial and follow-up discussion among fans point to a wave of fresh Pokémon joining the roster, with an obvious focus on water types.

So far, the standouts spotted in the leaked footage include:

- **Mudkip**

- **Crawdaunt**

- **Staryu**

- **Starmie**

- **Sharpedo**

That’s far from a complete list, but it’s enough to set expectations: if you like filling ocean biomes with appropriately aquatic residents, you’re about to be spoiled. Fans are already trying to piece together the rough number of new arrivals from blink-and-you-miss-it shots in the trailer, but for now only a handful of names are effectively confirmed.

There’s also a quiet nod to Stunfisk courtesy of a live-action extra in the trailer sporting a very on-the-nose hat. That might sound like a throwaway gag, but it lines up with previous leaks that had mentioned the fish-like Pokémon, turning a costuming choice into soft confirmation.

## Bulbasaur, Humidity, and the Vibes of Bubbly Basin

If Pokémon Pokopia has a breakout meme, it’s Bulbasaur yelling, “Let’s get this place HUMID!” That line has become shorthand for the game’s laid-back, slightly chaotic sense of humor, and naturally it’s the first thing the community reached for when the DLC leak surfaced.

The catchphrase is being passed around again as the perfect reaction to an expansion focused on moisture, mist, and undersea building. It captures the mood around Bubbly Basin: a mix of genuine hype and very online silliness that suits Pokopia’s playful tone.

That tone is key to why this expansion matters. Where a more po-faced builder might present underwater construction as a hardcore challenge, Pokopia already leans toward cozy experimentation. The expectation isn’t “brutal survival beneath the waves,” it’s “how wild can my coral city get?”

## Builders Get New Toys: Asian Temple-Style Kits

Beneath the surface-level excitement about new Pokémon, more seasoned players are fixated on one detail spotted in the trailer: new Asian temple-style building kits. Even in its base form, Pokémon Pokopia gave players enough pieces to hack together convincing pagodas, shrines, and traditional-style rooftops if they were willing to get creative. Now, it looks like the game is finally catching up with the community.

Dedicated builders have already shared some stunning Asian-inspired towns and temple complexes using improvised parts. Purpose-built kits that lean into that style should make those designs more accessible for everyone – and way more detailed for the people who were already pushing the system.

If you’re the type who spends more time in the build menu than actually battling or resource-gathering, Bubbly Basin sounds like an outright gift: not just new blocks, but new themes that logically pair with water-heavy environments, from cliffside temples to submerged ruins.

![Player preparing for Pokémon Pokopia Bubbly Basin with underwater sandbox build on TV](/media/2026/07/pokemon-pokopia-bubbly-basin-dlc-inline.webp)
*Underwater building looks set to redefine how players shape their Pokémon Pokopia worlds. (Image via RAWG (rawg.io))*

## How the Free Update Changes Pokémon Pokopia’s Future

The underwater-themed free update is arguably just as important as the paid Bubbly Basin DLC, especially for anyone who’s already sunk dozens of hours into the base game. Game Freak and Omega Force are effectively unlocking a whole new layer of verticality and complexity for players without charging a cent.

Up until now, “endgame” for Pokopia’s most dedicated creators has mostly meant refining elaborate surface builds, optimizing resource loops, and decorating villages with as many clever touches as the Switch 2 can handle. Once the patch lands, that ceiling – or more accurately, that sea level – is gone.

Suddenly, long-term players can revisit familiar maps and add:

- Underwater transit hubs connecting distant islands

- Hidden bases and treasure vaults beneath lakes and bays

- Layered settlements that stack coastal towns over submerged districts

Because the update is free and tied directly to core mechanics like drowning, it effectively becomes part of the baseline Pokopia experience going forward. Anyone picking up the game after Bubbly Basin won’t think of underwater building as a bonus feature; it’ll just be “how Pokopia works.”

## Why This Expansion Matters for Pokopia’s Momentum

Pokémon Pokopia has already been a huge win for Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Koei Tecmo – not just as a strong Switch 2 exclusive, but as proof that the Pokémon formula can stretch into a full-blown life sim and still feel authentic. Bubbly Basin is the first serious test of what long-term support for that idea looks like.

There are a few reasons this drop, whenever it’s officially confirmed, feels pivotal:

- **It reinforces Pokopia as a live game** rather than a one-and-done experiment, with a clear roadmap of expansions and updates.

- **It deepens the building meta** in ways that sandbox communities care about: more tools, more space, more biomes to conquer.

- **It plays to the game’s strengths** – cozy creativity, expressive villages, Pokémon hanging out in strange places – instead of chasing combat-heavy trends.

If Bubbly Basin hits, it sets expectations for future Pokopia DLCs to be similarly systemic: not just new areas to visit, but new mechanics that ripple across the entire save file.

## How to Get Ready for Bubbly Basin

Assuming the leaked timing holds and the Bubbly Basin DLC really is just around the corner, there’s still time to prep your world for the biggest wave yet. A few smart moves now will make diving into the update a lot smoother later.

- **Scout your shorelines:** Identify coastlines, lakes, and rivers where underwater building could be fun or strategically useful.

- **Stockpile key resources:** Even if we don’t know exact recipes yet, having a surplus of building materials will keep you from pausing big projects on day one.

- **Clear space for new hubs:** If you’ve cluttered your map with temporary builds, this is a good excuse to tidy up and leave room for future underwater districts.

If you’re coming back after a break, now’s also a good time to re-familiarize yourself with the game’s build systems and revisit your favorite towns. Wherever you’re already attached, that’s probably where your first underwater experiments will start.

## What This Means

Leaked or not, the Bubbly Basin DLC and its underwater-focused free update feel like the moment Pokémon Pokopia graduates from “surprisingly great spin-off” to fully fledged pillar of the franchise. Game Freak and Omega Force aren’t just tossing out more quests; they’re quietly rewriting the rules of the sandbox in a way that rewards both new players and the people who’ve been building since day one.

If the 5th August date pans out, Pokopia fans won’t have long to wait before they find out exactly how deep these changes go. Until the official announcement lands, treat the timing as a strong rumor – and maybe start planning where your first underwater village is going to sit on the map.

*Image via RAWG (rawg.io)*