Niantic’s AR mobile gamePokemon GOhas kept a dedicated fanbase over five years since launching in 2016. One key way it achieves this longevity is by releasing a consistent stream of new content. Over 900 monsters exist in mainline titles, and Niantic has been adding them in batches - now primarily working through Unova andKalos region Pokemon. Monthly Community Day events have also kept players coming back, and soon Niantic’s latest releasePikmin Bloomwill attempt something similar.
The main draw for Community Days in thePokemon-themed mobile game is monsters with unique movesets spawning more frequently. For example,Pokemon GO’s November 2021 Community Day features a Shinxthat can evolve into Luxray with Psychic Fangs as its Charged Attack.Pikmin Bloomis not likePokemon GO, a game with its own strategic battle system to learn, so it wouldn’t make sense to match that exact reward type using the noncombative Pikmin. Even so, there’s a good potential reward Niantic doesn’t seem to be taking advantage of.
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What Pikmin Bloom’s First Community Day Entails
Pikmin Bloomreleased sporatically across the world late last month, and its inaugural Community Day was announced on November 4. The “first special event” forPikmin Bloomis set to take place June 26, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, and it will primarily serve to add extra benefits for players who go on walks - rather than sending them on missions to hunt for specific characters.
WhereasPokemon GO’s Community Days center around specific monsters, andHarry Potter: Wizards Unite’s Community Days offer up different rewards,Pikmin Bloom’s closest equivalent is the “Community Day Participant” badge that unlocks for anyone who walks at least 10,000 steps. There are a few badge types inherent to the game, awarded for basic tasks like plucking a certain number of Pikmin or planting a lot of flowers, so this will be another accolade displayed on a player’s profile. Beyond that, passive benefits will be available to participants, such as Pikmin Seedlings growing 1.5-times faster, fruits giving twice their usual nectar, and the game’s Gym equivalent “Big Flowers” blooming into pansies rather than the typical daisies.
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Unique Cosmetics Could be The Future for Pikmin Bloom Community Days
Even thoughPikmin Bloom’s biggest draw is the way it rewards exercise, it is a shame the first Community Day will offer little more than an icon stuck to one’s profile page. What’s especially odd is that Niantic has a clear parallel toPokemon GO’s special moveset Pokemon that it could have taken advantage of. Luckily the Community Day’s announcement page says, “We plan to continue holding events for our players to come together and fill the world with flowers going forward,” which means there’s an opportunity for Niantic to expand its idea with giveaways such as Pikmin wearing unique cosmetics.
EachSeedling inPikmin Bloomrequires a certain number of stepsto mature so players can pluck them. For basic Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin this is typically 1,000 steps, meanwhile Purple Pikmin take 3,000 steps and so on. Sometimes players will come across a Huge Seedling that takes 10,000 steps. These will often provide that plucked Pikmin a unique cosmetic item; for example, a celebratory Seedling offered by Nintendo at launch offers players a Blue Pikmin wearing a keychain styled after Mario’s cap.
Most Pikmin unlock cosmetics like stickers once they reach a high enough friendship level, but there are also decor types based on Seedlings found near a number of locale archetypes: little planes near “Airports,” fishing lures near “Watersides,” combs near “Hair Salons,” and more. Niantic could expand its decor variety during future Community Day celebrations, and this feels sensible given the November 13 event’s10,000 step requirementlines up with the growth cycle for Huge Seedlings. Even ifPikmin Bloomdoesn’t move in this direction, there are sure to be new kinds of rewards to consider as the game grows.
Pikmin Bloomis available now on iOS and Android devices.
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