The Pokémon Pokopia expansion's first module, Bubbly Basin, has launched to favourable critical reception across major gaming outlets. Reviewers highlighted the underwater region's substantial content offering, including fifty new creatures to discover, gameplay improvements, and an environment designed around exploration with numerous hidden secrets and vertical spaces to investigate.

Critics characterised Bubbly Basin as a competent continuation of the base game's established formula rather than a revolutionary departure, though most viewed this familiarity positively given the core gameplay's appeal. The paid DLC arrived alongside a free Version 2.0 update introducing new mechanics, with the expansion pass's remaining two parts scheduled for completion later this year and in 2027.