Is Pikmin 4 Still Coming Out?

Nintendo's catalogue of first-party properties features some of the most recognizable icons in gaming history, from Mario to Fox McCloud. That said, not everything made by Nintendo ends up a hit by default. On a scale from Mario-like ubiquity to Wii Music-like obscurity, the Pikmin franchise falls somewhere in the middle.

Most entries in the Pikmin franchise were not only developed and published by Nintendo, but mainline Pikmin games feature none other than Shigeru Miyamoto as a producer. Miyamoto, of course, is the developer responsible for inventing Mario and Link, among other, various contributions to Nintendo history.

The most recent mainline Pikmin game was Pikmin 3, which came out in 2013. Since shortly after its release, Pikmin 4 is something Nintendo representatives have confirmed numerous times to be the works. However, the last supposed confirmation of Pikmin 4's existence came years ago, leaving some fans questioning whether or not any progress is being made on its development.

Since Pikmin can't quite count itself among Nintendo's marquee mega-hits, discussion of the fourth numbered entry in the franchise has been relatively limited. Much of what is currently known about Pikmin 4 comes courtesy of a few statements made at E3 conventions over the years.

GameRant interivewed none other than Shigeru Miyamoto during E3 in July 2016 about the state of Pikmin 4 at that point in time. Previously, at the prior year's E3, Miyamoto had described Pikmin 4 as nearing completion. In his GameRant interview, Miyamoto explained that Pikmin 4 simply wasn't high on Nintendo's list of priorities. Reading between the lines, Miyamoto seemed to be implying developers who had worked on Pikmin were working on other, higher-priority projects, theoretically sidelining Pikmin.

Miyamoto later spoke to Eurogamer about Pikmin 4 at E3 2017. Rather than provide any new insight into its development, Miyamoto simply stated that Nintendo was still making headway. An accompanying statement from Nintendo confirmed that the game was in development, but with the addendum that its mere existence was "all [it could] confirm at present."

Pikmin most recently resurfaced in October 2020, at which point Pikmin 3, originally released for the Wii U, was re-released in a deluxe edition for the Nintendo Switch. Critics praised Pikmin 3 Deluxe, which could be good news for those hoping for its fourth mainline entry sooner rather than later.

Nintendo arguably tested the waters in a similar manner with No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again, a smaller, indie No More Heroes game released ahead of its third mainline entry. No More Heroes 3 is currently scheduled for a 2021 release despite Travis Strikes Again's underwhelming performance.

A positive critical reception to Pikmin 3 Deluxe is, if not an intentional barometer of fan interest in the series, at least a sign that players are still receptive to Pikmin's gameplay. Recent additions to Nintendo's rewards program even included Pikmin coasters. While it's unlikely that orders of those coasters have any bearing on Pikmin 4's fate, it's nevertheless another indication that Pikmin remains an active Nintendo franchise, well-deserving of its long-awaited sequel.