Quick answer: The free Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy demo arrives on the Nintendo eShop on November 2, 2026, and your save carries over. If you already own Pikmin 4, the Upgrade Pack is $9.99. If you don’t, the full Switch 2 Edition is $69.99. Both launch November 12, 2026. Current as of Pikmin Day, November 1, 2026.
Happy Pikmin Day. Shigeru Miyamoto picked November 1 because 11.1 looks like a red, yellow and blue Pikmin standing in a row, and Nintendo is marking it with a busy weekend for the series. The big news for Switch 2 owners is that Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy gets a free demo on November 2, ten days before the full release on November 12, 2026. Here is what is in the demo and which version you should buy.
What the free Pikmin 4 Switch 2 demo includes
Per Nintendo’s announcement, the demo includes:
- The full opening area: Sun-speckled Terrace, the first stage of the main adventure.
- Two Dandori Academy stages from the new challenge mode.
- Save transfer: your progress carries over to the full game if you buy it later.
Nintendo has not announced an exact release time for the demo yet. Look for it on the Nintendo eShop on your Switch 2 on November 2.
Upgrade Pack or full game: which one to buy
The US Nintendo eShop lists two ways in:
- You already own Pikmin 4 on Switch: buy the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy Upgrade Pack for $9.99. It needs the original game to work.
- You are new to Pikmin 4: the Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy bundle is $69.99 and includes everything. Physical preorders are open at the My Nintendo Store and select retailers.
For comparison, the original Pikmin 4 still lists at $59.99, so the bundle costs $10 more than the base game. Owners save money by upgrading instead of buying again.
What’s new in the Switch 2 Edition
- Improved visuals on Switch 2.
- Voice commands for Oatchi through the Switch 2 microphone.
- Dandori Academy: 72 stages released over time, each with three difficulty levels, medals and online leaderboards. Exams run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and you get a single attempt after practicing.
- Dandori Battles with friends through GameShare locally or GameChat online, even if they don’t own the game.
Dandori Academy also ties into Pikmin Bloom. Exam rewards include special cave maps for the mobile game, which adds Secret Caves this winter.
More Pikmin Day plans
A Nintendo Treehouse Plays Pikmin stream airs today at 9 AM PT, 11 AM CT and 12 PM ET, and new Hello! Pikmin animated shorts are rolling out through the Nintendo Today app. For more Switch 2 coverage, see our look at the Ocarina of Time overview trailer.
Sources: Nintendo eShop listing, Nintendo’s Pikmin Day Direct, Nintendo Life and GoNintendo.
