Nintendo Announces Pikmin Day Direct with Updates on Pikmin 4 and Bloom

Nintendo used a dedicated Nintendo Direct on November 1, announced as Pikmin Day, to share updates on its Pikmin franchise. Shigeru Miyamoto explained that the date was chosen because the original three Pikmin characters resemble the figure "11.1" when placed side by side.

The presentation included a nine-minute segment on Pikmin 4, confirming a version for the forthcoming Switch 2 console and introducing the Dandori Academy mode, which adds timed challenges and exam-style tasks. A demo of the Switch 2 version will be available from November 2, featuring the Sun-Speckled Terrace area and two Dandori Academy stages, with save data transferable to the full release scheduled for November 12, 2026.

Nintendo also previewed a winter update for the augmented-reality mobile title Pikmin Bloom. The update will add "Secret Caves" events that require players to collect cave maps and then explore caves to battle creatures and earn items such as a rubber duck, a sword, a cookie, and a chef hat.

During the broadcast, actress Fuka Koshiba joined Miyamoto to discuss fan-generated Pikmin merchandise.

"I really wanted the hats, so I thought, 'Well, let's just knit them,'" Koshiba said.

The Direct concluded with a new Pikmin short film featuring a Red Pikmin attempting to retrieve a baseball from a frog. Miyamoto noted that Nintendo plans to release additional short films monthly through the Nintendo Today! app and other channels.