Pokémon Pokopia came out in March 2026 for the Switch 2, and it is one of the best games I've ever played that mimics Animal Crossing's gameplay. It is a fun little game because you play as Ditto trying to revive the habitats of many Pokemon who left the desolate areas.
Due to the success of the base game, the fun continues for fans because the first DLC is now available for PokemonPokopia. The DLC is called 'Bubbly Basin,' and it allows you to finally explore the underwater sections. Let's dive in and see what this DLC entails.
Accessing the DLC
The most important part of the DLC is knowing that you need to meet many prerequisites before you can even start playing. If you have only started playing Pokémon Pokopia, it's best to leave the DLC behind until you have finished the base game!
Anyway, here are the necessary prerequisites you need to access the Bubbly Basin DLC.
• Purchase the game's Expansion Pass on the Nintendo eShop, and update your game to version 2.0 or higher.
• You need to have at least finished the Withering Wasteland area of the game and unlocked the Bleak Beach area.
• After that, you need to unlock the Surf skill by befriending Lapras in Bleak Beach.
These are the main requirements you need to start the story to unlock the Bubbly Basin DLC. The most important skill that gets unlocked in the story is the ability to dive. Diving then allows you to finally explore the game's expansive underwater sections.
New features in Bubbly Basin
The coolest part of the Bubbly Basin DLC is that you can explore a new underwater section of the game that is based on Cerulean City. It's basically an underwater city teeming with lots of new buildings and Pokemon types to discover.
Speaking of Pokemon, this new DLC adds 50 new Pokemonfor Ditto to befriend. Some of the water-type Pokemon you can see include the likes of Popplio, Totodile, and Mudkip, just to name a few.
You can also build new homes, habitats, biomes, and lots more underwater thanks to Ditto's new ability to dive. There is also a special material you can unlock that floats in the middle of the water, so you don't have to build literally from the ground up.
My favourite new tool in the DLC has to be the Portal Pods. These allow you to fast travel to any previously visited towns or biomes. This saves you a lot of time if you need to get new resources or materials from another location in the game.
Graphics look amazing
The Bubbly Basin DLC has a story that lasts a generous four hours, and the graphics of the underwater sections look amazing. This is arguably the best-looking area of the entire game because the blue aesthetic makes the game shine really bright.
I also think it's cute that Ditto wears a bubble on its head so that it can breathe underwater. It reminds me of Sandy from SpongeBob SquarePants wearing an astronaut suit underwater so she can roam around Bikini Bottom on the show.
Price
The only real downside to this DLC is that you cannot buy it separately because you need to buy the whole Expansion Pass to get it. The Expansion Pass doesn't come cheap because it is priced at $59.95 NZD for those of us in New Zealand. If you want the full game and the Expansion Pass, it will cost you a whopping $164.95 NZD!
Closing thoughts
Aside from the price of the DLC, I think the Bubbly Basin is a great addition to Pokémon Pokopia. Not only does it add new Pokemon for you to discover, but it's arguably the prettiest section in the entire game. You must own this DLC if you loved the base game.