The September 13 Nintendo Direct saw a ton of info regarding the company’s new and upcoming games. From releasing the newest Zelda title’s name to revealing a brand new Fire Emblem installment, a running theme of the Direct was sequels to major first-party franchises. One such announcement that came as a surprise to fans was a return to the long-dormant Pikmin franchise.
What is the launch date for Pikmin 4?
Revealed for the first time at this Direct event, Pikmin 4 looks to rekindle the core gameplay of the series for the first time since the last mainline title — Pikmin 3 — debuted in 2013. Since that time, Nintendo released Hey! Pikmin, a platforming spinoff for the 3DS, as well as a re-release of Pikmin 3 for the Switch.
Related: Pikmin 4 exists and will release in 2023
Besides the title drop of Pikmin 4, not much was revealed about the game in its first trailer. Featuring very little in terms of gameplay, this pre-rendered commercial ended with a single number in terms of its release date — 2023. For as nebulous a date as sometime next year may be, it’s difficult to gauge when next year the title will launch considering how little of the game was shown.
The announcement of Pikmin 4 came alongside the reveal of new content coming to Pikmin Bloom, an augmented reality mobile game akin to Pokemon Go. Considering how long you may have to wait until Pikmin 4 arrives, there’s no better time to give Pikmin Bloom a try and get to walking.
Alongside the Pikmin 4 news, Nintendo announced several other new games that will be coming to the Switch over the next few months. That includes GoldenEye 007 (complete with exclusive online multiplayer), the golf update for Nintendo Switch Sports, and Bayonetta 3. Plus, we finally got the title reveal for the next Legend of Zelda game — it’ll be called Tears of the Kingdom and launches May 12, 2023.
