Pikmin 4 Dandori Academy Medals & Rewards (Confirmed)
What Dandori Academy medals do, which rewards Nintendo has named (like user icons), and what medal tiers or point costs are still unannounced.
What are Dandori Academy medals?
Medals are the performance badge you earn after a formal exam stage in Dandori Academy. The September 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct narrator says, “You’ll earn medals based on how well you do,” right after explaining that exams happen on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with a single scored attempt.
SimplyGames’ description of the Switch 2 Edition adds the reward link: medals “unlock rewards, such as user icons.” That is the clearest English example Nintendo’s retail chain gives pre-launch.
We treat anything beyond that sentence—full cosmetic lists, photo frames, stamps, passport UI names—as not yet announced in English unless Nintendo updates its store text or support articles.
Which rewards are confirmed vs still unknown?
| Topic | Status as of 2026-11-03 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| User icons (Switch 2 HOME menu) | Confirmed example | SimplyGames listing: “such as user icons.” |
| Medals tied to exam performance | Confirmed | Nintendo Direct + SimplyGames. |
| Dandori Points (up to 125 per course) | Pikmin Bloom promo only | Not documented as Switch 2 in-game currency; Bloom campaign footnote. |
| Medal tier names (Bronze, Gold, etc.) | Not announced (English) | Omit until official copy appears. |
| Score or time targets per tier | Not announced | No numeric thresholds in sources we fetched. |
| Complete reward catalog | Not announced | Retail copy uses “such as,” not an exhaustive list. |
| Nintendo Switch Online requirement to claim icons | Not confirmed in English | Needs post-launch verification. |
How do medals relate to Dandori Points?
Dandori Points are a Pikmin Bloom app metric, not a medal tier Nintendo has tied to Switch 2 HOME rewards in English store copy. Nintendo’s Bloom event page describes earning points through Academy play; the fine print states: “Six Dandori Academy courses are released each month, and each course awards up to 125 Dandori Points.”
Those point milestones (600 / 1400 / 2500) on the same page unlock Pikmin Bloom costumes and postcards only. Switch 2 Edition medals still map to in-game rewards such as user icons per SimplyGames, but Nintendo has not published English point costs on that track.
For the in-game medal track, Nintendo has not published English point costs per reward yet. We will map medals → points → unlocks after players can open the reward menu on November 12, 2026 or later.
Do practice scores affect medals?
No. Unlimited practice is explicit in SimplyGames and Pikmin Bloom copy, while the scored exam is limited to one attempt per stage per week (retail wording) during the Fri–Sun window detailed in our exam guide.
Bloom’s promo also warns that “practicing does not satisfy” exam requirements for its gifts, which aligns with Nintendo treating practice as training—not ranked runs.
What about leaderboards and medals?
Video Games Chronicle’s announcement ties online leaderboards to the same exam system that awards medals. The Direct mentions comparing friends and worldwide players after you finish an exam.
We do not yet have English documentation on whether leaderboard tabs mirror medal tiers or display raw scores. That structure is on our post-launch checklist.
If you are still deciding whether any of this justifies buying the new SKU, pair this page with Switch 2 Edition upgrade steps and our worth-it guide.
Sources
- SimplyGames — medals and user icons — accessed 2026-11-03
- Nintendo Direct — medals and exams — accessed 2026-11-03
- Pikmin Bloom — Dandori Points and courses per month — accessed 2026-11-03
- Video Games Chronicle — leaderboards mention — accessed 2026-11-03
- Gematsu — mode overview — accessed 2026-11-03
What we’ll update
- English medal tier names and score bands after November 12, 2026 launch gameplay.
- Full in-game reward list (icons, camera items, or other cosmetics) once Nintendo documents it.
- Nintendo Switch Online or internet requirements for claiming rewards and viewing leaderboards.
FAQ
What do Dandori Academy medals unlock?
Are there different medal tiers?
What are Dandori Points?
Do practice runs give medals?
Will this page list every reward on day one?
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