Nintendo has announced that Pokémon Pokopia will be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 on March 5, 2026. Interestingly, alongside announcing the title’s release date, Nintendo has also released a new video that indicates that the physical release of Pokémon Pokopia will only happen through the use of Game-Key Cards.
While Nintendo itself is yet to confirm this, the new video released by the company outlines how Game-Key Cards can be used on the Nintendo Switch 2. Throughout the video, the sample game cartridge used for this demonstration is a mock-up of the Pokémon Pokopia Game-Key Card. If it does end up being released as a Game-Key Card, Pokémon Pokopia will be the first first-party title on the Switch 2 to do so. Previous first-party releases like Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza all used regular game cartridges with no additional downloads required.
Pokémon Pokopia was first unveiled during a Nintendo Direct back in September. The title was unveiled with a trailer, showcasing its overall premise and some of its gameplay. Players in Pokémon Pokopia take on the role of a Ditto that has taken the form of a vaguely young human. In this form, players can explore the world and get their hands on various resources like wood and rocks that can then be used for crafting.
What sets Pokémon Pokopia apart from other survival crafting titles is the fact that players will also get the encounter other Pokémon in the world, which can then be befriended to give Ditto access to their own unique abilities. For example, getting a Charmander’s abilities will allow players to burn down their surrounding area to clear out a forest, with the area then becoming more suitable for building on. Similarly, a Squirtle’s abilities can be used to ensure that plants grow in a healthy way by getting access to water.
The full range of Pokémon abilities that can be used is currently unknown. However, the reveal trailer did indicate that players would be able to befriend quite a few Pokémon who can then live in the settlements crafted by the Ditto. Through this, the Pokémon can also be used to automate some of the more mundane parts of gameplay, like collecting new crafting materials.
As for the fact that the physical release of Pokémon Pokopia might end up being a Game-Key Card, Nintendo had previously stated that first-party titles would not make use of the feature. “We currently have no plans to use game-key cards for Nintendo-developed titles,” said Nintendo UK in a statement back in May. Since Pokémon Pokopia is being developed by Game Freak in collaboration with Omega Force, it might not strictly be considered a first-party release, however.
In the meantime, there have been other developers from across the industry that have been using Game-Key Cards for their titles. In fact, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, which is making its way to the Nintendo Switch 2 on January 22, will also be getting a physical release on the console through Game-Key Cards.
