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Pikmin App release date and the rest you need to know

Want to learn more about the Pikmin App? Scroll down

Pikmin App release date and the rest you need to know

In March, Niantic announced that they were working on yet another AR title that aims to get players out and about. Their latest endeavour will feature Pikmin, another popular Nintendo franchise that is slated to be heading for iOS and Android. Though Niantic is already known for creating Pokemon Go, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and the often forgotten Ingress, the Pikmin App will be the first game developed by their Tokyo Studio, which they established back in 2018.

If you've found yourself here, chances are you're looking for more details about Pikmin App, Pikmin Mobile, or whatever name Niantic ultimately decide to give it. Whether that's the latest news on the Pikmin App release date or simply what the game will be about, we've got you covered. Here's all the information we could find so far, compiled into one convenient article for your perusal.

What is Pikmin App?

Much like the other games that Niantic has created previously, Pikmin App will focus on getting players walking around their neighbourhood and beyond. It's part of the company's ethos, so it's no surprise it will also be present in Pikmin App. But how will the Pikmin series be translated into an AR mobile game?

Well, a bunch of details detailing what we can expect from the game have previously been covered by VGC. They explain that players will start the game by receiving Pikmin Seedlings in an item bag. These can then be grown simply by walking, which creates Step Energy. Once enough energy has been created, the Pikmin can then be plucked.

There are seven different variants of Pikmin available in the test version of the game that's currently available in Singapore. They are Red, Blue, Yellow, Purple, White, Rock and Winged. Once plucked, players can give their Pikmin a nickname or, they can let the game randomly generate one for them.

There are also special species of Pikmin you'll be able to find called Decor Pikmin. These will be sporting different pieces of clothing that are determined by where you found them. They can be grown from Big Seedling items or, there's the possibility that your existing Pikmin can become one if they interact with different places enough.

Again, according to VGC, we can expect the game to be heavily focused on daily play. This is reinforced by a feature called the Lifelog and another called the Daily Lookback. The latter is generated at the end of each day. At which point, it presents the player with an animated summary of what they've achieved in that time. Meanwhile, the Lifelog will track the number of steps they've walked, places visited and so forth throughout their time spent with the game.

What is the Pikmin App release date?

At the time of writing, Niantic hasn't announced the Pikmin App release date. They have simply stated that the game is expected to launch for iOS and Android this year. Of course, 'later this year' is a fairly vague time frame that doesn't tell us an awful lot.

We do have some idea of how the development of the Pikmin App is progressing, though. It recently soft-launched in Singapore where players have been testing it since. This means the game is in a playable state and Niantic are most likely looking to test the servers alongside optimising the game before they announce the Pikmin App release date.

It's worth noting they are actively requesting players with access to Pikmin App not to post videos or pictures online. This could be to avoid spoiling other players on the game but, it could also be because it isn't fully optimised yet and may have various glitches and bugs that make it look unpolished. However, since folks can play the Pikmin App in Singapore, we can expect to hear news about the release date soon.

Will Pikmin App be free-to-play?

Niantic hasn't officially unveiled whether or not Pikmin App will be free-to-play or. But, given that their previous games use this payment model, it's reasonable to assume that Pikmin App will follow suit.

In Pokemon Go, players can buy Poke Coins which can be exchanged for various items such as Incubators, Poke Balls, Storage Upgrades and other items. Coins can be earned in-game, but this is limited to 50 per day. Additionally, the game also hosts events where players can take part by purchasing a ticket. Pikmin App will likely have a similar kind of in-app purchase setup.

And that's all the details we have for the moment. However, you can head over to the game's official website and pre-register your interest while you wait for news on the Pikmin App release date.

Stephen Gregson-Wood
Stephen Gregson-Wood
Stephen brings both a love of games and a very formal-sounding journalism qualification to the Pocket Gamer team.