Nickelodeon stumbled onto something special when it first released Spongebob Squarepants back in 1999, creating a new media franchise and a household name that spans across TV, film, and of course, video games. And while the titular character has made appearances in dozens of games fromThe SpongeBob SquarePants Moviegame to the kart racerNickelodeon Kart Racers, few are as revered as the 2003 action-adventure platformerSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottomon PS2.
Fast forward to 2020, Nickelodeon has signed a new publishing deal with THQ Nordic. The release ofSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehyrdated,acomplete remake of the cult classic for modern consoles, is just six weeks away. From the new multiplayer horde mode to its release date and F.U.N. retail editions, here’s everything that fans need to know aboutSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehyrdated.
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What is SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom?
For those that never got the chance to play the original,SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottomis an action-adventure platformer that released on PS2, Xbox, GameCube, GameBoy Advance, and PC in 2003. The game was developed by Heavy Iron Studios and published by THQ; players can play as Spongebob, Patrick, and Sand, on a quest to stop Plankton from taking over Bikini Bottom with an army of evil robots. The remake is being developed by Purple Lamp Studios and published by THQ Nordic.
What’s New in Rehydrated?
Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydratedisn’t a remaster of the classic PS2 game but a complete remake, built from the ground up on Unreal Engine 4 and features significantly improved visuals, resolutions, gameplay, and a remastered soundtrack. On top of that, developer Purple Lamp Studios has created abrand new multiplayer horde modefor up to two players that can be played across split-screen or online play, as well as remade content that was cut from the original game such as the Robo Squidward boss fight shown in the game’s trailer.
Release Date and Platforms
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehyrdatedis going to be released worldwide next month, on July 10, 2025. The remastered game will be available on all the usual platforms including Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. In case anyone was looking out for a mobile port, THQ hasnot made any official announcement.
Retail Editions
Unfortunately,SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehyrdateddoesn’t have any pre-order bonuses on offer but it does have a couple ofF.U.N. editionsfor fans to get excited about. Of course, there Standard Edition is available which includes a copy ofSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehyrdated.Next up is the Shiny Edition which includes a copy of the game, a SpongeBob Figurine with Golden Spatula and flexible tongue, Wallstickers, 6 Lithographs, and SpongeBob SquarePants themed tennis socks. Finally, fans can pre-order the F.U.N. Edition which includes all of the previously mentioned items, as well as an additional Patrick Figurine (7"/18cm), Sandy Figurine (8"/20cm), and a set of Tiki Keyrings.
WhileSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehyrdatedwasn’t publicly delayed, it was originally rumored to be released on May 22 according to an old Nintendo infographic. THQ Nordic was initially looking to release the remake around the same time as theupcoming third Spongebob movie,The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run. However, unfortunately, the film was officially delayed from May to August 06, 2025 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
THQ Nordic has made quite the name for itself since obtaining the THQ trademark in 2014 following the liquidation of THQ. Not only did it obtain the publishing rights forSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottomin a new publishing deal with Nickelodeon, THQ Nordic also purchased several developers includingDarksiders IIIdeveloper Gunfire Games andMX vs. ATVdeveloper Rainbow Studios,as well as the rights for franchisesincludingKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Alone in the Dark, andTimeSplitters.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehyrdatedwill be released on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on June 23.
