Nintendo dashes hopes for new Pikmin game, after commenting on Close to You short film

Nintendo caused some commotion with the release of the Close to You animated short. Gamers struggled to see its relevance until observant viewers spotted faint signs of a Pikmin. A follow-up video on Nintendo Today! app revealed the mysterious creatures in their full glory. Sadly, an explanation from the gaming giant suggests that a new Pikmin game may not be on the horizon.

After the two short films debuted on October 7th and 8th, Nintendo provided more clarification on social media. It confirmed that they are the first videos in this truncated format created by Nintendo Pictures. As the company puts more emphasis on movies and non-gaming projects, fans can likely expect similar productions in the future.

Nintendo didn’t announce a new Pikmin game or even a full-length film based on the IP. Still, the second short film may have given hints about what to expect in upcoming projects.

Humans have never had a role in Pikmin games

People have never appeared in Pikmin titles to observe the miniature heroes exploring environments, solving puzzles, or battling enemies. The mobile Pikmin Bloom release verified that the creatures were invisible to humans. The last mainline entry in the series, the 2023 Pikmin 4, also had a level set in a pristine home. Just as the baby in the Close to You short witnesses objects moving without explanation, gamers could see similar interactions in the future.

With Nintendo Pictures taking on a greater role, the company has put more emphasis on films in various formats. Following The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it invited Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri to join its board of directors. Other Nintendo movies in the works include the sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a Zelda film, and likely a Donkey Kong picture. The Kit and Krysta podcasters expect that new Switch 2 games may be more closely tied to these films.