Following years of speculation, famed producer Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed in September that Pikmin 4 is in active development for Nintendo Switch and on the way soon. The latest in the line of puzzle-adventure games is still very much a mystery, but we can glean a little from its debut presentation. Here’s everything we know about Pikmin 4.
Announcement teaser
So far, almost everything we know about Pikmin 4 comes from one brief teaser, no more than half a minute of which was in-engine footage, as part of a Nintendo Direct presentation that debuted on September 13, 2022. That footage showed some serene nature scenes like a butterfly flitting off a flower, as well as some ground-eye perspectives at man-made structures like a bench or a brick patio. The last shot was also the first indication that we were even looking at a Pikmin game, as it showed a sleeping Bulbmin chilling out near the structures.
In a brief comment following the footage, Miyamoto explained that while the company wouldn’t be showing gameplay footage yet, he could say that this game will allow you to play from a lower perspective, closer to the ground, to give you a Pikmin’s perspective. He also said that the Switch has made it easier to control the Pikmin, for an experience they’ve nicknamed “dandori” in Japan–which means strategically deploying and commanding your Pikmin.
Development
Our first indication of Pikmin 4 came back in 2015, when Miyamoto casually referenced a follow-up to Pikmin 3 being in development. Since then, though, Nintendo went almost entirely silent regarding the game, with only occasional reassurances that development was still progressing. In the interim, we’ve gotten both Pikmin 3 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch and Pikmin Bloom, an AR game for mobile devices. Pikmin 3 Deluxe included features like additional side stories, co-op story progress, and other quality-of-life improvements.
Release date
Pikmin 4 is scheduled to release in 2023, but no specific date or window has been given yet.
Preorder
Preorders for Pikmin 4 have not opened yet.
