The Pikmin series has always been a fan favorite, but despite excellent review scores on all three main games, the series has never had incredibly high sales. As a result, Pikmin 4 has always hung in the balance as Nintendo questions whether the series is worth continuing.
Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto was quoted in 2015 as saying that Pikmin 4 was “very close to completion,” leading fans to believe that a new game was coming soon. There is speculation that Miyamoto was actually referring to Hey! Pikmin, a launch title for the New Nintendo 2DS XL which launched in 2017. When asked about the development of Pikmin 4 two years later, Miyamoto replied, “I was told not to share anything about it in the public relations, but I can tell you that it is progressing.
Since 2017, we haven't heard anything about Pikmin 4, although there is a silver lining for fans. Pikmin 3 Deluxe, an enhanced port of the Wii U version, launched on the Nintendo Switch in October. If Pikmin 3 Deluxe sells well, it could be a deciding factor in whether Nintendo decides to make a fourth game in the series.
PIKMIN 4: EVERYTHING WE KNOW SO FAR
When is Pikmin 4 release date?
It's unclear when Nintendo will choose to release Pikmin 4, though the publisher has kept fans on their toes by announcing games in unexpected ways. If we look at the release patterns of each of the games, it might give us a clue about when the next Pikmin game will launch.
Pikmin arrived as the GameCube's launch title in 2001. Three years later, Nintendo released Pikmin 2, which was critically acclaimed and managed to sell just over a million copies. The next main game in the series won't arrive until 2013, nine years after Pikmin 2. Pikmin 3 managed to sell over a million copies despite launching on Nintendo's lowest-selling console.
Excluding re-releases and the standalone 2DS sequel, we should have another Pikmin game in the next few years. Interestingly, Pikmin 3 was supposed to be a launch title for the Wii U but ended up being delayed. If rumors of a Nintendo Switch Pro turn out to be true, Nintendo could save Pikmin 4 for the launch of the new console.
Has Pikmin 3 Deluxe sold enough?
Fans have been speculating if the success of Pikmin 3 Deluxe will determine the fate of Pikmin 4. If that turns out to be the case, then it looks like things are getting worse. Physical sales of Pikmin 3 Deluxe in the UK are down 18,5% from opening week sales of the Wii U version. a much higher percentage of total sales compared to the launch of Pikmin 3 in 2013.
Nintendo refuses to share digital sales figures, so it's unlikely we know how much better the game sold on the eShop. The Pikmin series as a whole only reached five million in sales, so Nintendo wouldn't expect Pikmin 3 Deluxe to top the UK charts. That being said, most people would have hoped Pikmin 3 Deluxe would outsell the Wii U version given the Nintendo Switch's install base.
Have there been any Pikmin 4 leaks?
The last official word we heard from Nintendo regarding Pikmin 4 was from Miyamoto in 2017. It's been three years since Miyamoto claimed development on Pikmin 4 was progressing, but we haven't seen or heard anything so far. There's a chance that Nintendo decided to scrap all progress made in the game to completely start over from scratch, like Metroid Prime 4. Nintendo runs a tight ship, so we haven't seen any leaks lately.
And that's all we know about Pikmin 4. If you enjoyed this guide, why not check out our Pikmin 3 Deluxe review? Jon Mundy gave the game an impressive eight out of ten. “Pikmin 3 Deluxe is another complete re-release with a welcome multiplayer component,” says Mundy. "It's a shame Nintendo didn't polish it to the shine it deserves"
