Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy launches on November 12, 2026. Nintendo announced it in a surprise Pikmin Day Direct hosted by Shigeru Miyamoto, which also declared November 1 "Pikmin Day". Current owners can upgrade for $9.99, and a free demo is already on the eShop.
This page has affiliate links: if you buy through them, WIZY may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What's in the Switch 2 Edition
- Dandori Academy: a new mode where you collect treasure as fast as you can across stages.
- Weekend exams: new tests every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with online leaderboards and medals to earn.
- Three difficulty levels to master.
- 72 Academy stages, released over time rather than all at once.
Other Switch 2 upgrades
- Voice commands for Oatchi: your dog partner can now listen to voice commands through the Nintendo Switch 2 microphone.
- Sharper visuals: higher-resolution graphics in both TV and handheld mode.
- Dandori Battles with friends: play with a friend on the same system, or share the game with GameShare locally or online through GameChat, even if your friend doesn't own it.
Price and upgrade
- Upgrade pack: $9.99 in the US (£7.99 in the UK) for people who already own Pikmin 4 on Switch. It's already up for pre-order on the Nintendo Store.
- Full game price: Nintendo's announcement didn't list a price for buying the Switch 2 Edition outright. Check the eShop listing.
If you don't have the game yet, Pikmin 4 on Switch plus the upgrade pack is one way in.
Free demo out now
A free demo with the opening area and two Dandori Academy stages went live on the Nintendo eShop on November 2. Your demo save carries over to the full game if you buy it later.
Like this kind of news? Get the WIZY weekly: one email every Sunday, no spam.
No new Pikmin game
The roughly ten-minute Direct didn't announce a new Pikmin game. It focused on the Switch 2 Edition and on making November 1 an official Pikmin Day.
My take
A $9.99 upgrade with a brand-new mode and weekend challenges is a fair deal for owners, and the free demo makes it easy to try first. Leaderboards could give Pikmin 4 a long second life on Switch 2. Will you try Dandori Academy?
Follow WIZY Blog on Reddit: r/HolyWizy
Sources
- Nintendo: Pikmin Day Direct 11.1 nintendo.com
- Nintendo Everything: Nintendo just released a Pikmin Day Direct nintendoeverything.com
- The Magic Rain: Everything announced on the first-ever Pikmin Day Direct themagicrain.com
- Game Rant: Nintendo quietly drops surprise Nintendo Direct for November 2026 gamerant.com
- GoNintendo: Nintendo shares surprise Pikmin Day Direct gonintendo.com
Written by the WIZY creator
A lifelong gamer and Warhammer painter from Calgary, Canada, and the maker of the Crusade Journal and the WIZY RPG game. I write about games, hardware, Warhammer and crypto in plain English, and I check every fact against its source.
