It's been a long while, but Pikmin 4 is finally official, confirming that the Pikmin franchise is coming back once again.
First mentioned by Shigeru Miyamoto all the way back in 2015, before the Switch was even announced, fans were starting to worry that Pikmin might not get another game, but we've got all the (at this point scant) details on it for you right here.
Check out the best upcoming games for Nintendo Switch here, meanwhile, if you're looking for something else.
Pikmin 4 release date
Pikmin 4 will come out sometime in 2023, according to its first teaser trailer, which you can find below this section.
There's no more precise information than that right now, but we'd anticipate that the game won't come out in the first half of the year. After all, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be releasing in May 2023, so if it was going to be anytime before that we would likely have a date by now.
Still, Nintendo is prone to keeping things secret until they're really ready to pop, so don't be surprised to see Pikmin 4's final release date announced with only a couple months' notice.
Pikmin 4 trailer
The trailer that confirmed Pikmin 4 came during a Nintendo Direct in September 2022, and while the news it brought is very welcome, the trailer is about as brief as they come.
That's it, just a glimpse of one gameplay environment, then a title card and release window with no more detail. That Nintendo Direct had bigger fish to fry, announcing Fire Emblem Engage and the title of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, so we can forgive Nintendo for it.
Pikmin 4 platforms
Pikmin 3 first came out on the Wii U, but we're in a new era for Nintendo now, and have been for quite a few years.
Pikmin 4, therefore, will be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, and won't be available to play on any other consoles or platforms.
Pikmin 4 story and gameplay
Pikmin's world is one where humanity is extinct, and you play as a tiny space explorer seeking to survive the wilds by corralling the titular Pikmin.
These little munchkins, all primary coloured with little seedlings sprouting from their head, can be (somewhat loosely) directed around to counter threats and overcome obstacles, letting you explore new areas and grow new Pikmin again.
Story isn't necessarily the biggest focus of the Pikmin series, but it has built up a backlog of lore for you to explore. Playing Pikmin 3 is a great way to figure some of this out - and it's been rereleased on Switch to make that easier than ever.
On the gameplay side, we can safely assume that Pikmin 4 will involve more real-time strategy as we move Pikmin around in herds to accomplish objectives like collecting food and defeating nasty monsters, but how this might have evolved is an open question at this stage.
With just a single teaser trailer and no real gameplay footage to go on, we'll have to wait for more information to be released before we can really speculate on how Pikmin 4 is going to evolve thigns.