Nintendo Turns Ditto Into a Human Builder — Pokémon: Pokopia Brings Minecraft-Style Cozy Sim to Switch 2 in 2026
Nintendo showed a new cozy sim called Pokémon: Pokopia during a recent Nintendo Direct. The game stars a humanoid Ditto and will release on the Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in 2026.
- What Pokopia is
- How gameplay works
- Pokémon interactions and examples
- Release window and official link
- Trailer and preview
What Pokopia is
Pokémon: Pokopia is a building-focused life sim from Nintendo that looks similar in style to games like Dragon Quest Builders and Minecraft. Instead of the usual trainer-versus-trainer format, players control a humanoid Ditto who learns abilities by befriending Pokémon.
How gameplay works
Players expand a campsite or base by gathering materials, building structures, and unlocking new abilities. In practice, that means you craft furniture, build homes for Pokémon, and change the environment as you progress.
As you befriend more Pokémon, the humanoid Ditto gains new moves that directly affect construction and the surrounding world. In short: exploration and building drive progression, rather than traditional battling.
Pokémon interactions and examples
The Direct preview showed several concrete examples of how Pokémon help change the environment. For instance, a Bulbasaur taught the Ditto how to grow grass, while a Squirtle revived dried plants.
Other examples shown include:
- Charmander — helps make a campfire.
- Hitmonchan — can break walls into stone.
- Drilbur — tills fields for crops.
- Materials and furniture build options ranged from a cozy cabin to a nest for Psyduck and a perch for Pidgey.
Release window and official link
The game is announced for the Nintendo Switch 2 with a release timeframe of 2026. For the official announcement and details, see the Pokémon Company’s 2026 Pokopia page.
Trailer and preview
Nintendo released a preview during a Nintendo Direct. The trailer shows different biomes — including a forested hill with a waterfall and beachfront property — plus day/night variation and a calm, slow pace that encourages building at your own speed.
Additionally, the preview highlights that the game displays what Pokémon are saying beside their names, a feature that echoes the presentation in older titles like Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Overall, Pokopia positions itself as a non-battle, cozy way to hang out with Pokémon while shaping the world around you.
