Shigeru Miyamoto Declares November 1 Pikmin Day in Surprise Direct

Nintendo shadow-dropped a surprise Nintendo Direct on Halloween to declare a new holiday, per IGN. Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto announced that November 1 will now be known as Pikmin Day.

Miyamoto explained the date choice, saying that three Pikmin standing in a row resemble the numbers "1 1 1," or November 1. According to Kotaku, this new holiday kicked off with a nine-minute presentation focused on franchise updates.

The Direct showed off the upcoming Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. IGN reports the new version will let players use the console's microphone to give voice commands to the dog-like companion Oatchi. It also includes a new Dandori Academy mode with weekly timed challenges. A free demo for this edition will be available starting November 2.

Kotaku notes that the mobile game Pikmin Bloom is getting a winter update called Secret Caves. This new feature will let players send their Pikmin underground to battle creatures and find treasure.

The presentation also featured a new animated Pikmin short movie and announced that new shorts will be released monthly. Miyamoto was joined by actress and Pikmin fan Fuka Koshiba, who was highlighted for her hand-knit Pikmin hats.