Pokémon crossing.
The Pokémon Company and Nintendo have confirmed that the upcoming life simulator game Pokémon Pokopia is launching on 5 March, 2025. Developed by Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force studio, the Animal Crossing-like Pokémon game will also be the first physical Nintendo Switch 2 game to launch on a Game-Key Card.
Game-Key Cards contain an activation key for video games, but they don’t contain any actual game data on their own. Players still have to download the entire game after inserting a Game-Key Card, which has raised controversy over the whole concept.
Pokémon Pokopia launches in March 2026, uses Game-Key Card
This week, Nintendo released a video entitled “Using Game-Key Cards on Nintendo Switch 2,” focusing on how users can insert and download games using these physical cards. Certain third-party games are currently only available on Game-Key Cards for the Nintendo Switch 2, although players have remained iffy on their usage due to the lack of guarantees concerning future game preservation.
The video features a box and Game-Key Card for Pokémon Pokopia, teaching viewers how to insert and use the physical card. These cards don’t have any actual game data stored within them, so players will have to download the game in full before playing. However, they will still be able to trade or sell Game-Key Cards like any other titles physically released for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Pokémon Pokopia launches on 5 March, 2026. The Pokémon Company is set to release a new trailer for the game this week, on 13 November, 2025. The game will cost US$69.99.
