GoKawiilPokémon Pokopia charmed the pants off of everyone when it was released back in March, becoming a bona-fide system seller in the process. Players will soon be able to access the game's first paid DLC. Bubbly Basin arrives on August 5, after being teased last month.
The update introduces an underwater area to explore, which looks suspiciously like the ruins of Cerulean City. This location is accessible via the new Dive move, which allows for underwater exploration. This move will be available as a free update to all players, just in case people want to root around the ocean floor in previously-available environments.
Just like all other areas, the point here is to attract various Pokémon by building their favorite habitats. Creating a dream town for water Pokémon has one key advantage over building on land. There are newly-added buoyant blocks that float, which lets people make "three-dimensional builds that are only possible underwater." It's time for Krabby to have that floating underwater bar it's always wanted.
There are many new decorative items, including furniture that's "perfectly suited for life on the seafloor." This is also a full area with plenty of secrets. Developers are teasing "a deep, dark hole" just waiting to be explored. Otherwise, there's a new crop (watermelon) and a new Dream Island filled with relevant resources.
Now for the bad news. This is part of the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass, which costs $35, and there's no way to buy Bubbly Basin on its own. However, this does give people access to all three major DLC drops coming down the pike. Additionally, purchasers will get some bonus recipes and 30 rare Pokémetal ingots. Still, the DLC plus the game adds up to around $105, which is a lot in this (or any) economy.
For the uninitiated, Pokémon Pokopia is an absolute blast. The Switch 2 exclusive is a weird mish-mash of Pokémon, Minecraft, Stardew Valley and Dragon Quest Builders. Players control a Ditto after some kind of apocalyptic event, so the game focuses on rebuilding environments and attracting long-dormant Pokémon.