Nintendo declares 1 November Pikmin Day as Pikmin 4 heads to Switch 2
Nintendo has given one of its smallest heroes a day of its own. On Saturday, 31 October 2026, the company surprised fans with a short video presentation devoted entirely to Pikmin, the puzzle-strategy series about tiny plant-like creatures, and used it to declare that 1 November — today — will be Pikmin Day, every year from now on.
The presentation, called the Pikmin Day Direct, lasted just over nine and a half minutes and appeared on Nintendo’s YouTube channels at 7 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, with almost no warning beforehand. There was no new Pikmin game in it. Instead, Nintendo packed the short broadcast with a free demo, a new mode for the Switch 2 version of Pikmin 4, a winter update for the mobile game Pikmin Bloom, and a new series of animated short films. Pikmin’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, presented the video himself.
At a glance
What happened: Nintendo aired a surprise Pikmin Day Direct on Saturday, 31 October 2026, and declared 1 November Pikmin Day, an annual celebration of the Pikmin series.
Why it matters: It is Nintendo’s clearest attempt yet to raise Pikmin to the level of its biggest franchises, with a demo, a new mode, a mobile update and short films all tied to the new date.
What happens next: The free Pikmin 4 demo arrives on Monday, 2 November; the full Switch 2 edition launches on Thursday, 12 November; and a Nintendo Treehouse stream is scheduled for Pikmin Day itself, 1 November, at 9 a.m. Pacific Time.
What Nintendo announced on Saturday
The Pikmin Day Direct was short, cheerful and deliberately low-key. It was not streamed live. It simply appeared on Nintendo’s YouTube channels on Saturday morning, shortly after Nintendo had said it was coming, and ran for about nine minutes. Miyamoto, Nintendo’s representative director and the creator of Pikmin, opened the presentation and did most of the talking.
The headline was the new day itself. Miyamoto explained that Nintendo is officially designating 1 November as Pikmin Day, beginning in 2026 and continuing every year: a fixed date on which Nintendo can celebrate the series, share news and give fans something to look forward to. GameSpot described it as a branding holiday of sorts, a launching point for yearly announcements, and that is a fair summary of what Nintendo seems to have in mind.
The rest of the presentation was a tour of what is coming in the next few weeks. The biggest item was Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy, the upgraded version of the fourth main game, which launches on 12 November. Nintendo confirmed a free demo for that version, coming on 2 November, and walked viewers through its new Dandori Academy mode, in which players are tested on how efficiently they can plan and carry out tasks. There was also news for the mobile game Pikmin Bloom, which is getting a new Secret Caves feature this winter, and a new series of short films called Hello! Pikmin, whose first film was shown during the presentation.
Why 1 November?
The choice of date is a small visual joke, and Miyamoto explained it himself. The original Pikmin game featured three types of Pikmin: red, yellow and blue. Stand three Pikmin side by side, Miyamoto said, and they look like the three number ones in the date 11/1 — 1 November. That is the whole reason. It is the kind of gentle, slightly silly logic that fits the series, and Nintendo has now built an annual event around it.
Pikmin 4 on Switch 2: what is new
Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy is the centrepiece of the Pikmin Day announcements. The game was first announced during Nintendo’s September 2026 Direct, with its 12 November release date, and the Pikmin Day presentation was mostly a closer look at what the Switch 2 version adds.
The headline addition is Dandori Academy. Dandori is the game’s word for planning your work well — doing things in the right order, with the right Pikmin, in the least wasted time. Pikmin 4 already had Dandori Battles, a multiplayer mode built around that idea. Dandori Academy turns it into solo challenges, in which players practise collecting treasure and completing tasks as efficiently as they can.
The structure is deliberately strict. Players can practise the challenges during the week, working out the best route and the best plan. Then, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, they get to take an exam: a timed test of that plan, with one chance to post their best time. Leaderboards let players compare their results with others. Polygon reported that 72 Dandori Academy stages will be released over time, so the mode is meant to keep growing rather than arrive complete on day one.
The Switch 2 version also uses the console’s built-in microphone in a new way. Players can give spoken commands to Oatchi, the dog-like companion who travels with the player through the game, saying things like “Rush” and “Go to work”. Game Informer also noted that the Switch 2 version will have improved visuals over the original Switch release.
The price is straightforward, at least for the physical version. GameRant reported that the full game will retail for $69.99, while players who already own Pikmin 4 on the original Nintendo Switch can buy a $9.99 Upgrade Pack to move to the Switch 2 version. The price on Nintendo’s eShop, the console’s digital store, had not been published when the presentation aired, according to GameRant.
The free demo: what you can play on Monday
If you own a Nintendo Switch 2 and you are curious, you do not have to wait until 12 November or pay anything to try the game. A free demo of Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy will be available on Monday, 2 November.
The demo is a generous sample rather than a tiny teaser. It includes the opening Sunspeckled Terrace area from Pikmin 4, the first area of the full game, plus two stages from the new Dandori Academy mode. That gives players a feel for both sides of the package: the main adventure, with its exploration and puzzle-solving, and the new timed challenges.
As with many Nintendo demos, any progress you make in the demo will transfer to the full game if you decide to buy it. The demo is also Nintendo’s way of reaching players who have never tried Pikmin, a series whose charms — tiny creatures, careful planning, a garden seen from ground level — are quieter than a platform game or an adventure. A free demo, arriving the day after the first Pikmin Day, is a low-risk invitation to try it.
Pikmin Bloom’s Secret Caves
The Pikmin Day Direct was not only about the Switch 2. Nintendo also announced a sizeable update for Pikmin Bloom, its free mobile game, made with Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go. The new feature is called Secret Caves, and it is coming this winter.
Pikmin Bloom is a walking game. Players walk around in the real world, and their Pikmin grow and collect items along the way. Until now it has been a largely gentle, exploration-focused game. Secret Caves add something more adventurous. Players will need a cave map to find a cave, and those maps can usually be found attached to postcards in the game. Players can also earn special maps by completing exams in the Pikmin 4 Switch 2 Edition’s Dandori Academy mode, which links the mobile game to the console game in a direct way.
Once a cave is found, players can send their Pikmin inside to explore it themselves. If the Pikmin meet a creature, a battle begins. Players can use their whistle to call the Pikmin back if they are in danger, and if Pikmin are defeated, they recover automatically after a waiting period rather than being lost for good. Winning a battle earns a new treasure, which is added to a new area of the player’s collection.
Hello! Pikmin: the short films
The most charming part of the Pikmin Day Direct was its new series of animated short films, called Hello! Pikmin. Miyamoto introduced the series with the actress Fuka Koshiba, and the two of them presented the first short together.
The first film is a small, funny story. A red Pikmin approaches what looks like a sleeping toad and tries to steal a well-worn baseball. As the film plays out, it turns out the toad is not asleep after all — and it is hungry. The humour is gentle and visual, with almost no dialogue needed.
More shorts are coming. The second short was scheduled for 1 November, Pikmin Day itself, and a third was planned for later in November. After that, Nintendo plans to release one new short per month, starting in December, through the Nintendo Today app and other channels. The films are being made with Nintendo Pictures, the animation studio Nintendo acquired in 2022, when it was still called Dynamo Pictures.
Nintendo has made Pikmin shorts before, including one called “Close to You” about a year ago, but Hello! Pikmin is the first time they have been given a regular schedule. Koshiba is a popular Japanese actress, best known internationally for voicing Kiki in Kiki’s Delivery Service, and a genuine Pikmin fan who knits Pikmin hats.
Why Nintendo is pushing Pikmin now
Pikmin has always been a personal project for Miyamoto. He created the series, he still presents its news himself, and he has spoken for years about wanting more people to know it. GameSpot put it directly: Nintendo, and especially Miyamoto, have been keen to make Pikmin a franchise on par with the company’s other top-tier names like Mario and Zelda. Pikmin Day is the latest step in that effort.
There is a business logic behind it as well. Nintendo’s biggest series already have annual rhythms: Mario has his own celebration day, Zelda has anniversaries that fans plan around, and Pokémon has a whole calendar of events. A fixed annual day gives a smaller series the same kind of rhythm — a date when fans expect news, when Nintendo can release a demo or a short film, and when new players have a reason to pay attention.
Today, 1 November, is the first Pikmin Day. Nintendo Treehouse Plays is scheduled to stream Pikmin 4 from 9 a.m. Pacific Time, and the second Hello! Pikmin short was also scheduled for today. In Pakistan, the demo will be a free eShop download for Switch 2 owners on 2 November, and Pikmin Bloom is free on Android and iOS; no local pricing was announced.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pikmin Day?
Pikmin Day is a new annual celebration of Nintendo’s Pikmin series, held on 1 November. Nintendo announced it on 31 October 2026, during a surprise Pikmin Day Direct presented by the series’ creator, Shigeru Miyamoto.
Why is Pikmin Day on 1 November?
Because the date, written as 11/1, looks like the original three Pikmin — red, yellow and blue — standing side by side. Miyamoto explained the reasoning himself during the presentation.
When does the Pikmin 4 demo come out, and when does the full game launch?
The free demo for Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy will be available on Monday, 2 November 2026. It includes the opening Sunspeckled Terrace area and two Dandori Academy stages, and progress transfers to the full game. The full game launches on Thursday, 12 November 2026.
How much does Pikmin 4 on Switch 2 cost?
The physical version will retail for $69.99 in the United States, and owners of the original Switch version can buy a $9.99 Upgrade Pack, according to GameRant. The digital price on the eShop had not been published when the presentation aired. No price in Pakistan was announced.
What is Dandori Academy?
Dandori Academy is a new mode in the Switch 2 version of Pikmin 4: timed challenges built around Dandori, the game’s idea of planning your work efficiently. Players practise during the week, then take a timed exam on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, with one chance to post their best time on a leaderboard. Polygon reported that 72 stages will be released over time.
What are Secret Caves in Pikmin Bloom?
Secret Caves are a new feature coming to the mobile game Pikmin Bloom this winter. Players find a cave map, usually attached to a postcard, then send their Pikmin into the cave to battle creatures and collect treasure. Maps can also be earned by completing exams in Pikmin 4’s Dandori Academy mode on Switch 2.
Is Nintendo making Pikmin 5?
Not that it announced on 31 October. Miyamoto warned viewers before the presentation that it would contain no news about a new game, and no Pikmin 5 was shown. The Direct focused on the Switch 2 version of Pikmin 4, Pikmin Bloom and the Hello! Pikmin short films instead.
Where can I watch the Hello! Pikmin short films?
The first short was shown during the Pikmin Day Direct on 31 October, with a second scheduled for 1 November and a third planned for later in November. After that, Nintendo plans to release one new short per month, starting in December, through the Nintendo Today app and other channels.
Conclusion
Pikmin Day is a small announcement with a big ambition behind it. Nintendo has taken a series that has always been loved quietly, given it a date on the calendar, and surrounded that date with things to play, watch and look forward to: a free demo on Monday, a full game on 12 November, a mobile update this winter and a short film every month.
It may not be the kind of news that changes the games industry. There is no new console, no new main game and no price cut. But for a series built on small creatures doing patient, careful work, that feels fitting. Nintendo is not asking Pikmin to become Mario overnight. It is asking fans to mark 1 November, try the demo, and come back next year to see what Pikmin Day brings then.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://gamerant.com/nintendo-direct-november-2026-pikmin-day/ (GameRant, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-hello-pikmin-direct-day-shigeru-miyamoto-switch-2/ (Polygon, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-declares-november-1-is-pikmin-day-with-a-direct-featuring-game-news-and-animated-shorts/ (GameSpot, 31 October 2026)
- https://gameinformer.com/2026/10/31/shigeru-miyamoto-proclaims-november-1-is-pikmin-day-pikmin-4-demo-coming-to-switch-2 (Game Informer, 31 October 2026)
