Nintendo has announced a rather unexpected Pokémon spin-off, Pokopia. Revealed during the 12th September Nintendo Direct, the new game is coming to Switch 2 in 2026 and is being developed by Koei Tecmo Games.

In the game players are tasked with creating their own Pokémon paradise, with Ditto as the protagonist - albeit Ditto taking on a human-like appearance.

About Pokémon Pokopia

As Ditto, players can explore and learn moves from the Pokémon they befriend—such as Bulbasaur's Leafage to grow greenery, or Squirtle’s Water Gun to revive dried-up plants—expanding their capabilities and helping them create an inviting environment to attract a variety of Pokémon.

Players can collect materials, build furniture, grow vegetables, and create homes for Pokémon, allowing them to experience a cozy, slow life with Pokémon—one that they build themselves from the ground up. Over time, players can develop a town of their own and invite other players or Pokémon to visit. Pokémon Pokopia also features a day-night cycle linked to real-world time, changing weather, and in-game locations with their own unique characteristics.

Koei Tecmo has dabbled in this sort of title before, providing much of the work for Square Enix's Dragon Quest Builders 2, another Minecraft-esque spin-off of a major Japanese RPG series. It could be that some of the development talent is shared between these titles - though as with most Pokemon games, Game Freak is also clearly deeply involved.