Pokémon Pokopia Debuts as Cozy Life Simulator Spin-Off

Lead Game Freak unveiled Pokémon Pokopia, a life-simulation spinoff starring a humanoid Ditto, during today’s Nintendo Direct on September 12, 2025, for Nintendo Switch 2, blending crafting, farming and Pokémon abilities into a cozy island-building experience.

Nut Graf As Pokémon’s first dedicated life-sim entry, Pokopia marks a bold genre expansion for the franchise-melding community-building mechanics with familiar monster abilities to appeal to both long-time fans and newcomers seeking a relaxing gameplay loop.

Gameplay Highlights

  • Transforming Protagonist Players assume the role of a Ditto disguised as a human, borrowing moves from discovered Pokémon to terraform the environment and assist in daily tasks.
  • Crafting and Construction Collect wood, rocks and materials to craft furniture, build homes for visiting Pokémon, and expand your utopian island at your own pace.
  • Ability-Driven Mechanics Use Leafage from Bulbasaur to sprout greenery or Water Gun from Squirtle to hydrate crops, with new abilities unlocking further tools and features as your community grows.

Development and Release

Pokopia features a charming tilt-shift art style reminiscent of Pokémon’s third-generation visuals and is co-developed by Game Freak. No exact launch date has been announced beyond a 2026 window for the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.

Where to Watch

The full reveal and gameplay overview premiered during the approximately 60-minute Nintendo Direct broadcast, which streamed live across Nintendo’s official channels on September 12, 2025.

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