Nintendo surprise-posted a roughly nine-minute Direct on its YouTube channel on October 31, where series creator Shigeru Miyamoto declared that November 1 will officially be known as Pikmin Day from this year on. The presentation announced a free Pikmin 4 demo, a Pikmin Bloom update, and a new animated short series, but no new game.
“Starting this year, we’re going to start calling November 1st Pikmin Day,” Miyamoto said in the Direct.
He explained the choice of date with the franchise’s own iconography: the original red, blue, and yellow Pikmin standing side by side look like the numerals 11/1. The original Pikmin arrived on GameCube in Japan in October 2001, with its North American release that December.
A free demo lands November 2
The Direct’s biggest announcement for Switch 2 owners is a free demo of Pikmin 4: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy, which Nintendo of America said on X will be available on November 2. The demo covers the opening Sunspeckled Terrace area and two Dandori Academy stages, and save data carries over to the full game.
The full game launches November 12. Nintendo’s own Direct page confirms a $9.99 Upgrade Pack for owners of the original Switch version, while the physical release reportedly retails for $69.99. The Switch 2 edition adds improved visuals and uses the console’s built-in microphone for voice commands to Oatchi, such as “Rush” and “Go to work.”
Dandori Academy is a timed treasure-rush mode: players practice during the week and get one scored exam attempt on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, earning medals for their results.
Hello! Pikmin and a Secret Caves update
Miyamoto also unveiled Hello! Pikmin, a short film series produced with Nintendo Pictures, the studio formerly known as Dynamo Pictures that Nintendo acquired in 2022. The first short, #01 Frog, shows a Red Pikmin hiding from a frog behind a baseball and debuted during the Direct. New shorts will be distributed through the Nintendo Today! app and Nintendo’s social channels, with a second short arriving November 1 and monthly episodes to follow from December.
On mobile, Pikmin Bloom gets a Secret Caves feature this winter, with cave maps found on Postcards leading to underground battles and treasure. Defeated Pikmin automatically recover after a waiting period, and special cave maps can be earned by completing Dandori Academy exams in the Switch 2 edition.
The first Pikmin Day falls on Sunday, November 1, when Nintendo streams Nintendo Treehouse Plays: Pikmin 4: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. The free demo follows on November 2, ten days before the full game’s November 12 release.