We should stop meeting like this! Yes, for the second time in two days, our fates have become intertwined thanks to the matchmaking of Nintendo. Following yesterday’s 40th anniversary Legend of Zelda showcase, we got to do the announcement livestream thing all over again – and this time for a proper Nintendo Direct, which managed to squeeze an enormous amount of stuff into its 45-minutes focused on games arriving this “winter”.
So what did it bring? Well, arguably the biggest news is there’s a brand-new 2.5D Metroid on the way, and it’s coming early next year. But Kirby fans also have something to look forward to as the pink puffball takes his turn at going open-world in Kirby and the World Beyond. Elswhere, we got word of a free Mario Kart World update bringing retro tracks to multiplayer, a free multiplayer update for Star Fox, as well as a long-awaited release for Professor Layton and The New World of Steam. Perhaps surprisingly though, we didn’t get the long-awaited release date for FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods despite its recent, and extremely promising, network test.
Returning to the stuff we actually got though, you’ll find everything announced in September’s Nintendo Direct below.
Monster Hunter Wilds was good, PC performance issues and a few other niggles aside. And we now know it’s coming to Switch 2 on 4th December. Furthermore, its upcoming Ascendance expansion is on the way too and launching next year.
Wondering when the Final Fantasy remake series is concluding on Switch 2? Well wonder no more: Nintendo has confirmed Revelation, the third part of the saga, hits its console on 8th April next year. Additionally, should you need a Final Fantasy fix sooner, Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is coming to Switch 2 later today.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – the second entry in Koei Tecmo’s Zelda-themed hack-and-slash spin-off series – is making its way to Switch 2 in the form of a Definitive Edition. It’s promising the likes of 60fps support, more enemies on screen, plus all the content from Age of Calamity’s expansion pass. And there’s also a tougher Calamity mode. It’s launching 25th February next year, and there’s a digital discount for owners of the Switch 1 version.
If you enjoyed the multiplayer parts of Switch 2’s recent Star Fox 64 remake, there’s some good news. It’s about to get four-player split-screen support (which also means four players can join a team on one console and play online battles together) and new multiplayer stages, themed around Katina, Sector X, and Venom. The free update arrives on 30th September this year.
Still not enough Star Fox for you? Well if you’re a Switch Online subscriber, you’ll be able to play developer Rare’s dinosaur-themed GameCube adventure Star Fox Adventures on Nintendo Classics from today.
Meccha Chameleon has been a smash hit, and Switch 2 owners will soon have the opportunity to try their hand at its silly team-based hide-and-seek action. It launches on Switch 2 today!
After taking us deep beneath the waves, Pokémon Pokopia’s expansion is, next, going a little bit simpler but a lot more fashionable, with a selection of Pokémon-themed accessories. We already knew this was the case for part two of three, but Nintendo has now given us a peek at what’s to come, showing everything from ribbons to bowties. Plus, there’ll be a couple more Pokémon joining in the fun when Part 2 launches “late 2026”.
CD Projekt’s spruced up version of The Witcher 3 – which includes both previous expansions – is coming to Switch 2 on 29th September. New stuff includes “enhanced visuals and gameplay”, alongside support for mouse and motion controls, gyro aiming and touchscreen. Additionally, the game’s brand-new expansion, Songs of the Past, launches next year. Woo!
Warhorse Studios’ 2025 action-RPG sequel Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is heading to Switch 2 in a new Royal Edition form. It bundles together the base game and all previous DLC – adding the likes of new stories and outfits – and it arrives sometime in 2027.
Not much to report on this one. Switch 2’s new Fire Emblem instalment, Fortune’s Weave, quickly popped in to remind everyone it’s launching 17th September. Thanks!
Amazingly, it’s been three years since developer Level-5 announced it would be revisiting one of its most beloved series in Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. At the time, it was due to launch for Switch, but in the years since, it’s also been confirmed to arrive on Switch 2 (as well as PS5 and PC). I’ve been excited to return to the world of Luke and Layton ever since that initial reveal, so I’m delighted to learn it’s finally almost upon us, with a release date now set for 10th December this year.
Exactly that: Level-5 followed up its Professor Layton announcement with word that Yo-Kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain is in development for Switch 2. Did it have anything else to add? Only this: “It’ll take a while meowre!”
If you were wondering why Pikmin 4 got a free update for Switch 1 last year that didn’t include any notable upgrades for Switch 2, here’s your answer: Nintendo’s just announced its flogging the game again as a new Pikmin 4: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Among other things, it adds the ability to give voice commands to Oatchi using the console’s built-in mic and you can praise him too. There’s also a new Dandori Academy mode challenging you to secure treasure as quickly as possible. The idea is you’ll need to practice ahead of a proper “exam” scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and you only get one attempt. It’s coming 12th November, and owners of the Switch 1 version can purchase a digital upgrade.
Bloober Team, the studio behind the likes of Layers of Fear and the Silent Hill 2 remake, is bringing a new handheld-focused horror game to Switch 2. Onyx: The Dark Grip sees its protagonist, Holden, visiting a fog-shrouded town “steeped in mystery”, and players can interact with his adventure using the touchscreen to do things like unlock doors and read minds. The trouble is, Holden perceives your actions as those of a supernatural entity, and you’ll need to avoid sending him over the edge as you play. It’s out next year.
Overcooked studio Ghost Town Games announced its new co-op adventure Stage Fright a while back, and we’ve now had our first proper look at gameplay courtesy of Nintendo’s latest Direct. There’s no release date for it yet, but it’s coming to Switch 1, Switch 2, and PC.
Ever wanted to be a merperson? Then your wish, with a wave of the Disney wand, is about to come true. Disney Dreamlight Valley is heading under the waves for its next expansion, the Keepsake Sea, which is launching this November.
It wouldn’t be a Nintendo Direct without more amiibo to fill your dwindling shelfspace. And this latest showcase confirmed two new Kirby Air Riders figures – Sword Kirby & Dragoon, plus Noir Dedede & Hyra – are launching 12th November, completing the Air Riders amiibo line-up. Additionally, another in-game event, with related rewards, is on the way to the game, with more news due at a later date.
There are two things you need to know about developer The Game Bakers’ survival-adjacent climbing game Cairn: it’s blimmin’ excellent, and also blimmin’ hard. It turns out I probably wouldn’t last an afternoon on the mysterious Mount Kami, but at least Cairn’s protagonist Aava has a much firmer grip on things. That’s a climbing joke, by the way. And now the point of all this: Cairn is coming to Switch 2 early next year, but you don’t need me to tell you how good it is. Because a demo is releasing on the eShop today.
Capcom’s acclaimed remakes of Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 4 are all making their way to Switch 2, with all their DLC included. They’ll be available digitally initially, launching for eShop on 16th October, but physical editions release on 29th January next year.
Lara Croft’s very first adventure is getting the remake treatment for a second time in its three-decade history, courtesy of developers Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog. And a Switch 2 release has now been confirmed. It’s called Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, and while some of the choices being made for this reimagining aren’t especially encouraging, we’ll know how it’s all come together when it releases on 12th February next year.
It’s got sports, it’s on Switch 2, and it’s still releasing on 22nd October. That’s all!
Goodness! I certainly wasn’t expecting to see Samus back so soon, but the bounty hunter is making a return in Metroid Ravenous, which looks to follow the same 2.5D stylings as 2021’s excellent Metroid Dread. It’s coming to Switch 2 on 28th January next year, alongside a special edition and an amiibo.
Mario Kart World features a number of classic courses sneakily tucked around its expansive map, and these’ll soon be playable in VS race mode, courtesy of a free new update. Expect to be careening around the likes of Choco Island 1, Vanilla Lake 1, Ghost Valley 1, and seven more – complete with working question mark panels – when the update arrives today. And that’s not quite everything: two new routes – Turnip Rally and Propeller Rally – join Knockout World Tour.
Mega Man: Dual Override is coming to Switch 1&2 in spring next year, and to mark the occasion, we got a quick bit of new gameplay showcasing returning ally Proto Man who’s joining the adventure in playable form. New amiibo of the pair launch alongside the game.
As is Nintendo Direct tradition, things started to get a bit chaotic once we hit the ‘montage’ section. Which, I regret to admit, is the point my speedtyping prowess utterly failed me. We also got a few other bits around the montage I couldn’t quite keep up with, so to keep things simple, here’s everything tucked into the montage – and around the montage – complete with links to each trailer where applicable, and their respective release dates. Enjoy!
There are good time ahead for fans of the Persona series on Switch 2. Not only is Persona 4’s highly anticipated remake, Persona 4 Revival, coming to the console on 20th May next year, Nintendo has confirmed Persona 6 is also on the way.
Well, the bad news is we didn’t get a release date for The Duskbloods, but the good news is Nintendo’s buoyant pink puffball is back to upside-down those frowns. Kirby is making his return in a brand-new 3D adventure, Kirby and the World Beyond, that’s coming to Switch 2 in spring 2027. There’s not much more to say about this one just yet, other than that it’ll apparently let players “freely explore” while using Kirby’s powers. But its arrival coincides with the series’ 35th anniversary, so expect more details on that soon.