Pokemon Pokopia now runs on Version 2.0.0, the largest content drop the town-building game has had since launch. The headline addition is the Dive move, which lets you swim freely underwater and construct houses beneath the surface. It also brings new items, emotes, hair colors, a fresh pattern, and a long list of quality-of-life fixes for the Nintendo Switch 2 title from Game Freak and Omega Force.
Quick answer: Update to Version 2.0.0 from the eShop or the game’s title screen to get Dive, underwater building, and dozens of fixes for free. The separate Bubbly Basin undersea town requires the paid Expansion Pass ($34.99 for three parts) and cannot be entered without it.
Free update vs. the Bubbly Basin Expansion Pass
Version 2.0.0 itself is free for everyone. It ships alongside Part 1 of the Expansion Pass, called Bubbly Basin, which is a paid add-on. The important distinction is that the core new mechanics arrive in the free patch, while Bubbly Basin is a separate underwater town built around those mechanics.
| Free Version 2.0.0 update | Bubbly Basin (paid Expansion Pass Part 1) |
|---|---|
| Dive move and underwater building | The Bubbly Basin underwater town to explore and rebuild |
| New items, emotes, hair colors, and the dynamic Ditto print | New underwater Pokemon, with Popplio as the area’s lead |
| Every bug fix and quality-of-life change | Deep-sea adventures and buoyant, watermelon-growing spots |
| Costs nothing | $34.99 for the full set of three expansions |
The Expansion Pass is planned in three parts. Part 2 arrives in late 2026 and adds accessories, furniture, and more Pokemon without a new town. Part 3 follows in 2027 with a new town to explore and rebuild. You can view the paid content on the official Pokemon Pokopia Expansion Pass listing on the eShop.
How to learn Dive and build underwater
Dive is the move that unlocks free underwater movement. Once you have it, you can swim in the ocean, set up fields and relaxing spots below the surface, and even ride minecarts underwater. Two conditions must be met before you can learn it.
- Clear the request “Raise the environment level!” in Bleak Beach.
- Have the jump ability and learn the move Surf.
After both conditions are satisfied, Manaphy teaches you Dive. You can befriend Manaphy through the Bubbly Basin add-on. With Dive learned, the Build specialty can be used to place houses underwater, and Strength also works below the surface.
Note: To start the Bubbly Basin DLC, you must first finish the “Raise the environment level!” request in Bleak Beach and learn Dive from the free update. Those are prerequisites for entering the new town, not just for swimming.
New items, emotes, hair colors, and patterns
Beyond underwater play, Version 2.0.0 expands customization and storage. The portal pod and safe are new items, with recipes you can buy after raising Palette Town’s environment level. Together they act as shared storage, letting you move items between towns.
| Addition | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Portal pod and safe | Buy recipes after increasing Palette Town’s environment level |
| Dynamic Ditto print pattern | Talk to Smearguru after acquiring the diploma |
| Lie Down and Ready, Set, Go! emotes | Obtained in Bleak Beach and on Dream Islands |
| Five hair colors (orange, light pink, yellow-green, blue-green, brown) | Available in the character customization palette |
The list of paintable items also grows to include the stylish stool, handrail, metal chain, workbench, vending machine, bike, bookcase, Pokemon Center counter, arrow sign, and rope.
Building and quality-of-life improvements
Many of the changes target long-standing friction with storage, placement, and building. You can now move items in bulk between the storage box and your bag, and delete items placed inside objects such as the garbage bin. Depth placement for windows, doors, and similar items can be fine-tuned for exact positioning.
| Change | Result |
|---|---|
| Power generator placement limit | Raised from 64 to 128 (excluding furnaces) |
| Town photo display limit | Raised from 10 to 40 |
| Lost relic appraisal | Now done in batches of up to 10 at a time |
| Curved eave crafting output | Increased to 10 |
| Crafting material priority | Storage box beside the workbench is used before the bag |
| Camera settings | New motion-sickness reduction options |
Movement abilities gain new uses too. Companions can follow you while you Surf, Glide, Rollout, or Magnet Rise. Rollout can now smash certain natural objects such as large boulders, and you can inhale items or open the bag while rolling. Surf can be activated on land by holding the focus button, and Leafage reverts farm soil back to a normal soil block. Both the Pokedex and Habitat Dex now include an All tab.
A settings option also lets you keep moving while the move wheel is open, and a separate option hides the confirmation message shown when canceling Magnet Rise.
Notable bug fixes
The patch resolves a wide range of problems across Pokemon behavior, multiplayer, quests, and stability. Key fixes include the following.
- Suicune and Gholdengo could sometimes be unable to travel across water.
- Pokemon could fall into the ocean or off cliffs when appearing from habitats, or fail to return even when honey was used.
- Multiplayer building sessions could become impossible to complete or cancel under certain conditions.
- Returning from a Dream Island could send players to Palette Town, fail to finish loading, or transport them to a Dream Island after an online session ended.
- The Sparkling Skylands requests “Follow Tinkmaster!” and “Pokemon Center tour guide!” could stall or misdirect players, and Slowpoke could stop during the Withered Wasteland “Clear the path!” request.
You can confirm the update installed by checking that the version reads 2.0.0 on the game’s start screen. The full patch notes are hosted on Nintendo’s official Pokemon Pokopia support page.
Fetching Scales for Feebas event
A limited-time summer event, Fetching Scales for Feebas, is scheduled to run from August 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM through August 28, 2026 at 4:59 PM. During the event, Feebas arrives in your town and you collect a special item called Prism Scale, which you exchange for swimming-themed furniture. Building habitats with those items lets you befriend both Feebas and Milotic.
Playing the event requires the free Version 2.0.0 update, so installing the patch is the only prerequisite. With Dive, underwater building, and the storage and placement changes now live, most players can jump straight into the new content without spending anything, while Bubbly Basin remains the optional paid layer on top.
