A new extended look at Pokémon Pokopia just dropped, and the upcoming 2026 Switch 2 title is basically what everyone was expecting.
And I'm not mad at all. Because Pokémon Pokopia amounts to the Pokémon version of Animal Crossing, and I think that's just plain awesome. The 10-minute look at gameplay released by Nintendo this morning has me more excited than ever for its cozy vibes.
The new footage is narrated by a talking Tangrowth, which I hope means that this game will have voices, too, although I doubt it. But in Pokopia, you play as a Ditto who's cosplaying as a human and must rebuild and expand a decrepit island to make it habitable for the Pokémon who live there. Sound familiar?
You can absorb Pokémon powers like Squirtle's water gun to water flowers, punches from Hitmonchan to clear paths, slashing from Drilbur to till fields, and slicing from Scyther to clear out grass. So, it's basically Animal Crossing's tools and items wheel. But it goes next level when you can use Ditto powers to transform into Pokémon like Lapras to swim or Dragonite to fly, so this isn't just a one-to-one inspiration.
All sorts of Pokémon can move in to habitats on the island. They will give you requests to complete, and there's even multiplayer where you and your other Ditto pals can build and work together, take selfies, and more. And what's with that colorless Pikachu (Peakychu) and moss-covered Snorlax (Mosslax) at the end of the video? There are definitely mysteries in store. This game looks very adorable, and I can't wait to play it with my girlfriend.
When it comes to Pokémon spinoffs, they are very hit or miss for me. But I can tell that this one will be a big success amongst all sorts of gamers, especially once word gets out that it's Animal Crossing with some Pokémon flair. Every casual gamer I know has been pining for Animal Crossing since 2020 when it took over the world and helped us all navigate the pandemic.
Look, we're likely several years away from the new Animal Crossing game. Even though New Horizons is getting a free update and Switch 2 version in January, it's not enough. Pokopia looks to scratch that itch with some fun Pokémon charm alongside it, and that's totally cool with me.
Pokémon Pokopia is now just a few months away, launching on Switch 2 and Switch on March 5, 2026.
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