Nintendo has declared November 1 as Pikmin Day — an annual celebration of the 25-year-old franchise — and marked it with a surprise Pikmin Day Direct hosted by Shigeru Miyamoto on Halloween 2026.
The nine-minute presentation packed in new details for Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy, a new feature for Pikmin Bloom, and the launch of an animated shorts series called Hello! Pikmin.
Pikmin (Credits: Nintendo)
Nintendo Pikmin Day Direct: Why November 1
Miyamoto explained the date choice with playful logic: in the original Pikmin game, the red, blue, and yellow Pikmin made their debut, and three Pikmin standing side by side resemble the date 11.1. Going forward, Nintendo plans to use Pikmin Day as a yearly launching point for franchise announcements, as Miyamoto wants more people to know about Pikmin.
There was no Pikmin 5 reveal in this Direct, but plenty of news for existing games.
Pikmin 4 Switch 2 Edition Gets Free Demo November 2
Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy launches on November 12, 2026. The Direct overviewed its Switch 2-exclusive features, including microphone voice commands for Oatchi — players can say things like “Rush” and “Go to work” using the console’s built-in microphone.
The new Dandori Academy mode lets players plan the best route and take timed exams every weekend — Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — with only one attempt per exam. A free demo arrives November 2, covering the opening area and two Dandori Academy stages.
Hello! Pikmin Shorts and Pikmin Bloom Secret Caves
The Direct premiered the first episode of Hello! Pikmin, a new animated shorts series from Nintendo Pictures — a spiritual successor to the “Close to You” shorts. Miyamoto was joined by actress Fuka Koshiba, known for voicing Kiki in Kiki’s Delivery Service, who shares her knitted Pikmin hats online. A second short arrives later in November, with monthly episodes starting December on the Nintendo Today app.
Meanwhile, the mobile game Pikmin Bloom gets a major winter update: Secret Caves. Players can find cave maps — often attached to postcards — and earn special maps by completing Dandori Academy exams, then send Pikmin underground to battle enemies and collect treasure.
Miyamoto also confirmed that all four mainline Pikmin games are playable across Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
Source: IGN — read the full story there.
