Pokémon Go Dev’s Pikmin Game Is Already Playable in Singapore

Niantic, the creator of Pokémon Go, has announced that it’s begun testing for its Pikmin AR game in Singapore.The game, which was only teased for the first time last week, will be released this year globally, but Singaporean players will be the first in the world to try it. No matter where you are, you can pre-register to test the game in when it comes to your region.

We’re excited to announce that, in partnership with @Nintendo, we’ve begun testing our Pikmin-based mobile app in Singapore! Register now to participate in this all-new Pikmin walking experience. https://t.co/mdA6zRTAgj

— Niantic, Inc. (@NianticLabs) March 30, 2021

At time of writing, exactly how the game works is still unknown, with Singaporean player Elias Chew explaining on Twitter that the game displays confidentiality notices when played. Chew did explain to another Twitter user that the game uses a Google Fit step count to grow Pikmin as you walk.

Niantic hasn’t said when the game will be coming to other countries, although it has previously soft-launched both Pokémon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite in Australia and New Zealand, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see it hit those regions earlier than full release.

The Pikmin game is the start of a new partnership between Niantic and Nintendo, who will “jointly develop mobile titles” using Niantic’s AR technology and Nintendo’s characters. The news comes a day after Niantic CEO John Hanke seemed to tease that the company was creating AR glasses to help aid its games.

Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.