Pokémon Pokopia: Expansion Pass Gets a Physical Code-in-a-Box Version in Korea

Nintendo Korea has announced an unusual sales format for the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass: The DLC, previously only available digitally, will now receive a physical package – albeit without an actual game cartridge. Instead, the case will merely contain a download code that buyers must still redeem in the Nintendo eShop.

What Exactly Is Inside the Code-in-a-Box Version of the Expansion Pass?

In the official announcement, Nintendo clarifies: “This package does not contain a game cartridge but a software download code. Please register the enclosed download code in the Nintendo eShop on your Nintendo Switch 2.” So, those who wish to have the box on their shelf will indeed receive a physical Switch-2 case complete with cover artwork, but will still need to download the actual content online. Pre-orders are already available through the local Nintendo Store in Korea, and the release is scheduled for September 10, 2026.

Will the Physical Expansion Pass Version Also Come to Europe or North America?

So far, only Nintendo Korea has confirmed this packaging variant, and there is currently no announcement for other regions like Europe or North America. Such code-in-a-box releases are significantly more common in South Korea and Japan than in the West, where DLC expansions are almost exclusively sold digitally – thus, collectors in Europe will have to continue to settle for digital purchases for now, unless Nintendo follows suit.

The Expansion Pass itself expands Pokémon Pokopia, which according to Nintendo has already sold over five million copies in just over four months, with new content centered around the “Bubbly Basin” area and additional Pokémon. For collectors, a physical package, even without an actual cartridge, is quite appealing, as it can be placed on a shelf alongside other Switch-2 games and often retains a higher resale value than a purely digital code – a trend that publishers are increasingly discovering to satisfy collectors' hearts despite digital distribution.

Source: Nintendo Life

Would you also be interested in a physical Expansion Pass version in your region? Let us know in the comments.