New Nintendo Switch Online Freebie Comes at the Perfect Time

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers across Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED have a new freebie today, and it comes at the perfect time. The biggest release of July arrives today. It's been 10 years since Pikmin 3 was released via Wii U. In other words, it's been a while for Pikmin fans, but the wait is finally over because Pikmin 4 is out today. And if you're a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, you're getting a special bonus to accompany the release of the game. Unlike some previous icons it appears these do not require the Expansion Pack tier to access, though this is not definitively clarified one way or another. 

So, what are Nintendo Switch Online subscribers getting? Well, today the first wave of Pikmin 4 profile icons have been released. Follow-up waves are set to appear every Thursday until August 10. And as you can see via the image below, each set includes characters, backgrounds, and frames. 

To access these icons you will need to open the Nintendo Switch Online app on the home menu and then hand over your Platinum Points, with prices varying from five to ten platinum points depending on the icon. Once redeemed, the icons are yours to keep forever, regardless if you maintain an active subscription, however, you need to download each within one week because each week they will be replaced with new icons. 

If you're not a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, you have two access points as it's available in two forms. There is the standard subscription that costs $20 a year and then there's the Expansion Pack tier that runs at $50 a year. Obviously, the offerings of each are different. As for Pikmin 4, it's available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch via a $60 purchase.

"Pikmin 4 is the largest and perhaps strongest Pikmin entry that Nintendo has released so far," reads the opening of our review of Pikmin 4. "Since first arriving on the GameCube back in 2001, Nintendo has continued to evolve and grow the Pikmin franchise with new gameplay mechanics, characters, and control schemes for players to experiment with. With Pikmin 4, Nintendo opts to include some of its biggest overhauls yet to the core formula that remains intact. And while some of these new elements of Pikmin 4 wear a bit thin over time, this is still a game that I found enjoyable for its entire runtime."