Pokémon ACNH Style Cosy Sim Sets Release Date and Controversial Change

Pokémon Pokopia, the upcoming life sim game from Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force, has now set a release date and also revealed a controversial change.

The game was revealed in a Nintendo Direct back in September, where fans were quick to liken it to a Pokémon version of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It’s a spin-off from the main Pokémon series where you play as a Ditto who transforms into a human and must shape an empty land into a home for your Pokémon.

Similar to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Pokémon Pokopia features a crafting system and a tool for landscaping the environment, ensuring you can build your home in whatever way you see fit.

You then find new Pokémon, befriend them, and they live in your new settlement. It’s a very cute game, and should serve as a decent crossover for Animal Crossing fans who also enjoy playing the Pokémon games.

It’s now been revealed that Pokémon Pokopia will release on 5 March 2026, adding yet another March release to the large pile of games coming next year.

What's the controversy?

Pokémon Pokopia has already landed itself in a spot of controversy due to Nintendo’s decision to make the physical release a Game Key Card.

As explained by Nintendo itself, Game Key Cards are sold in physical boxes but don’t actually contain any data on the cartridge. Instead, it acts as a key to download the game from the Nintendo eShop.

Inserting a Game Key Card into your Nintendo Switch 2 will prompt you to download it from the eShop, and you’ll have to insert the card every time you wish to play the game.

This move has proven controversial in the past, because it feels like a way to sell a physical game without actually having the benefits of owning a physical game.

And up to this point, Nintendo has not featured Game Key Cards as part of its own releases, making it an even more controversial move.

However, some have also said that it’s at least better than when publishers include a download code inside a physical box.

In this case, you can at least sell the game or lend it to a friend once you’re done with the game.

Either way, it looks like Nintendo could be about to set a worrying precedent if it really does intend to shift to Game Key Cards. With the Switch 2 community not convinced by it, there’s always the chance the publisher could reverse course and start supplying its games on physical cartridges again.