It’s official, Pokémon Pokopia lands March 5, 2026, exclusively on Switch 2. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced the date along with physical and digital preorders, Game-Key included. Plus, early preorders get a Ditto rug to start decorating in-game.
The game is being developed by Omega Force, the Koei Tecmo team that made the Warriors games. Nintendo publishes outside of Japan, while The Pokémon Company within Japan. You play as a Ditto disguised as a human, collecting berries, rocks and wood to make furniture, till fields and build homes for Pokémon. Real-time day-night cycles and weather affect how Pokémon look and behave, and more will befriend you.
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle
- This bundle includes a system and a full GAME DOWNLOAD for the Mario Kart World game, exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2
- One system, three play modes: TV, Tabletop, and Handheld
- Larger, vivid, 7.9” LCD touch screen with support for HDR and up to 120 fps
That’s basically Animal Crossing, but with blocky buildings like Minecraft. Shape the terrain by learning moves from your companions, like Bulbasaur’s Leafage for plants and Squirtle’s Water Gun for hydration. Progress means new Pokémon, bigger homes and even visits from friends.
Preorders open today on eShop and My Nintendo Store for digital, physical at retailers. Box art surfaced with a key icon and 10GB download warning. Nintendo timed the announcement with a YouTube video, “Using Game-Key Cards on the Nintendo Switch 2.” It compares full Game Cards like Donkey Kong Bananza—holding all data—with key versions. Pokémon Pokopia is the example: insert the card, connect online once, download the game and the card stays required to launch.
Until now, Game-Key cards were reserved for third-party developers—Bravely Default, Street Fighter 6 editions, and ports like Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Mario Kart World, among others, used cartridges. Fans complained about preservation: no data on the card means servers must stay online and reselling works but requires internet for the initial setup.In May, President Doug Bowser said there would be no Game-Keys for Nintendo-developed titles. Pokémon Pokopia is a third-party game so Nintendo can hold the line—barely. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, another Omega Force game from Nintendo, shipped on full cart. Why Pokopia is different remains a mystery.
Square Enix’s problem is the high cost of 64GB cartridges and slow read speeds. Sales figures show keys trail full releases, except for Cyberpunk 2077 which defied the trend physically. Pokopia is $70 in the US and 8,980 yen in Japan—a premium for a 10GB download in a box.
On November 13th, a 10-minute trailer will be released, emphasizing on social and customization. Preorders are open, but the key icon remains. Nintendo is betting that fans will overlook the card in favor of Ditto’s paradise
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