We don't know about you, but with the Switch 2 right around the corner, a new Nintendo Direct is honestly the last thing on our minds right now.
Alas, we do need to know more about the year ahead: what's Nintendo's big 'Holiday game'? When will Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launch? Questions need answering, and according to journalist Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe – A.K.A PH Brazil – such questions may well be answered in June (thanks, VGC).
According to PH Brazil during a recent livestream, Nintendo is looking to hold its next Direct presentation "on the Switch 2 launch week or a week after", as quoted from a post on Famiboards. PH Brazil has previously been accurate regarding Nintendo's plans, and has proven to be reasonably reliable with such things.
This would certainly line up nicely with Nintendo's actions in previous years, too. The company has held a Direct presentation of some sort almost every June since 2012. In the days of yore, this would typically coincide with E3, but this has since been supplanted by Summer Games Fest. Nintendo doesn't have anything to do with Geoff Keighley's event these days, but does often align its own announcements quite closely nonetheless.
Meanwhile, the Switch 2 itself is launching worldwide on 5th June 2025, alongside launch games such as Street Fighter 6: Years 1-2 Fighters Edition, and more.
Nintendo held a huge Direct on 2nd April to reveal its launch plans for the Switch 2, then followed this up later in the month with a 15-minute look at Mario Kart World. More details have since been revealed in an Ask the Developer interview, during which it was revealed that the game was previously in development for the Switch 1.
Would you like to see a NIntendo Direct in June? What kind of announcements would you expect to see? Let us know with a comment.
[source famiboards.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 56
it would be pretty weird (but also very Nintendo) to have a direct only a few days before the launch of Switch 2, a direct after the launch makes more sense to me
A release date for Prime 4 would be nice and maybe a look at new games on the way for Switch 2.
But we already have games? Just focus on making more switch 2 nintendo so I can get 1 😂
We'll just have to wait and see but yeah, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Direct even in June or at the latest by the end of summer (and I'd love to see it happen) considering that the focus of previous ones was on summer titles, we don't know the release date of Prime 4 as also mentioned by the article etc. - regardless, for now I'm looking forward to Switch 2 and its launch games first and foremost!
It kind of makes sense. We’ve had wave one of games. If they drop it in the days before, it might keep demand up when stock is low to build hype and exclusivity.
Also there may be same absolute bangers to drop. Weren’t people talking about a morrowind remaster, doom dark ages could be a chance, etc etc.
There’s normally a summer direct, maintaining a showcase in the absence of E3. Sounds like a good idea to get the console out the door and then give a release schedule of the coming months.
I’d like to see Doom the dark ages announced. So many games already, I can’t think of any others I’d like to see.
If I’m honest I will buy a Switch 2 when I see one, but at the moment I’m only interested in MKW and DKB. Most of the third party offerings are the stuff I don’t play because they aren’t like Nintendo games. I think Nintendo could do with showing what’s coming in the next year 1st party wise to really get the fanbase excited.
Their June direct is usually around the second week. This statement is vague enough to conveniently fall into that time frame lol so yeah, not exactly a surprise.
Ah the Nintendo Direct clout grifting and games media amplification has started up again. The brief reprieve sure was nice while it lasted
@MrGawain
You are in the same state as me.
I have MKW bundle preordered, but I’m not sure if it’s worth it just yet.
MKW looking good, DKB not totally sure and that’s is it for me from Nintendo in house AAA.
I thought they would have something else for the rest of year, if not, it’s not as good as the switch 1 line up.
Yes third party is better, but having the series x and Pro those games mean nothing to me of course and obviously won’t be as good.
It’s a strange release the switch 2 for me, as I have owned day one all the Nintendo consoles since the snes day one and been a lot more excited for them.
June is always a safe guess given Nintendo’s history. The second half of this year still seems murky. There really should be more Mario games in the waiting.
I could see a 2D Mario announcement like Super Mario Maker 3 or a Switch 2 edition of Wonder with new content. I think we’re overdue for a Mario sports game. We need to see more of Donkey Kong but that can also get its own Direct or overview trailer. Don’t know about Animal Crossing, but Splatoon 4 COULD be possible, yet I could see Nintendo still wait until later in the year on that. They typically don’t announce the next game until the current game is completely finished, and 3 is just nearly there with what could be the last Big Run and Splatfest this summer.
Well. duh.. There is usually a Nintendo Direct in June.
Would be a good opportunity to present some switch 2 games that is actually worth buying.
At the very least say something about the switch 2 plans for Zelda, Mario, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, Pikmin...
Would be nice if they had more to launch with than just Mario kart and a bunch of 3rd party stuff one can get elsewhere.
@timp29 First announce that Oblivion remaster for the Nintendo Switch 2 before talking about a Morrowind remaster.
theyre finally doing it mario kart world 2
Did we expect otherwise?
Like we barely know about games past July.
At the very least I’m expecting a partner showcase and nindies direct.
It would be a bit weird if they didn't have a large direct around the date of the launch of their new console, wouldn't it?
"We don't know about you, but with the Switch 2 right around the corner, a new Nintendo Direct is honestly the last thing on our minds right now."
Is it? I'd love it! The "holiday game / general outlook" question is very much on my mind.
I don't think I will get excited with Nintendo Direct as I already felt less interested with Switch 2 and any 3rd party games announced for Switch 2 will be likely 99% in game key card.and I will immediately considering the PS5 version instead.
@Anti-Matter I am not surprised, you prefer PS5 every time.
@Yosti
Because the 3rd party games on Switch 2 with game key card is a BS product.
Why should I buy that BS product like that?
I will choose the PS5 version for 3rd party games instead, for having game data inside the Blu Ray disc.
I know the game I choose for my PS5 are 99% KIDS games with NO Game key disc at all.
I know which games that have game data inside the disc.
I think we might have a partner showcase Direct, as per their 3-stage rollout plans that were reported on back in... April? I think? But that would make sense. A full fledged 40min Direct with big reveals makes more sense in August when they're at Gamescom, their bigger games are out of the way and people are starting to look towards the holiday season. I mean that makes sense to me, but as has been repeated here, Nintendo do their own thing. And it seems to work... mostly....
@jesse_dylan ah back when the SNES launched our only option was Mario World and FZero. Im not even joking. Nothing else. We used to drrrream of having 20+ games at launch. You tell the kids of today that, and they won't believe you.
@Anti-Matter I'm not usually excited for directs anyway and I own both. But I do watch them to see what I want to buy. Directs to me are the old me's equivalent of going through a toy catalogue and circling them when i was a kid🤣
Anything 3rd party will generally be bought on ps5 for me... so to multiplatform gamers, a direct is a bare minimum "look forward" to moment, and doesn't need "excitement". The excitement comes when you know you like the look of the game, not waiting for a video on YouTube to be ed.
Fingers crossed !
I hope we see some new ports too, like Persona 3 Reload or metaphor refantazio !!
I’m very interested in Metroid Prime 4 multiplayer. I’m convinced that it’s gonna be a big deal.
You never really know what Nintendo are gonna announce next.
That’s why Direct’s are so exciting and often a touch disappointing.
They had a Direct the following month after the Switch launch. So it's a conservative guess that there will be one a couple of weeks after the Switch 2 launch. But, the week after? I don't know. I would have thought they would be wanting people to buy the launch titles. If there is a Direct, then I would only expect a couple of first party SW2 titles (I know Youtube hype merchants will be hoping they splurge out plans for every concievable franchise...but we all know how Nintendo like to have a steady pace / long game.), some third party headlines and quite a few Switch 1 games (Metroid Prime 4 for example.)
We have no 1st party dates beyond DK, so I hope this is the case. There are 5 months of the year with no 1st party release dates so we at least need to know when Metroid, KirbyAR and Pokémon fit in that. Presumably Age of Imprisonment is December?
I'm hoping Drag X Drive is not going to be the only 1st party game in whatever month that launches and that leaves us space for one more meatier unannounced game.
There are also release dates for Silksong and Hades 2 that I'm particularly hyped for.
Nintendo: has a Direct in June around the same time as all the major game shows in June the past 12 years straight.
Social media influencer: I have a source who snuck into Nintendo HQ in the dead of night to hack into the CEOs laptop in order to find out that there's a possibility Nintendo will be having a Direct in June this year.
As an arcade racing fan I am very curious to know more about Kirby Air Riders which is scheduled for 2025. I also need the Metroid Prime 4 release date but I really hope they won't spoil anything else about the game 🙏🏻
@Anti-Matter That's fine. I just concluded that you prefer PS5 every time.
When Metroid Prime 4?!
Thought you were making a pun with that headline 😂
@Yosti ah sorry yup I meant oblivion. Clearly showing my complete lack of elder scrolls knowledge 🤣
Makes sense. Metroid Prime, Pokemon, and Hades don’t have release dates yet. Potentially Silksong too, eh? No release date for Drag and Drive or anything else really.
The fans that desire preorders are no doubt already doing what they can to get a Switch 2, but you gotta sell to those that say, “Meh, Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, and ports of games I have elsewhere. Looks like the release schedule is empty the second half of the year. I’ll believe Metroid Prime 4 when I see it.”
With GTA6 out of the way, honestly, I think we’ll get a decent amount of release dates and games very soon.
I just want to know if/when games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Metaphor: ReFantazio will be available on Switch 2.
I've been about to buy them for PS5 for a while but been waiting because I think that Switch 2 would be the perfect fit to play those in handheld.
It would be nice to see more games and, most importantly, the release dates for some games we already seen.
Another rumor, well...; what's really something that wasn't even a rumor anymore is that:
https://nintendolife.sitesunblocked.org/news/2025/05/rumour-new-datamine-suggests-nintendo-isnt-done-with-mario-karts-mobile-entry-just-yet
And right now in the game, there's already news of an update for it, although as the news report says, it's just an update to the game system and minor bug fixes. Well, let's see if that's all it is.
It'd be nice to see some plans for Mario and Zelda.
@Vectrex it feels like a holiday title for me but you never know. Nintendo loves to have random drops in their directs "oh yeah, Metroid prime 4? We have a release date, and it's next Tuesday with pre orders live now!". Anything can happen lol
I predict there will be another Nintendo Direct sometime this year. You heard it here first!
On a serious note, I'm fine with a new one before long. We still don't know some release dates for big Nintendo library titles, like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
Where's 3D Mario? Thats all I need to know. Also...give me that FF9 remake. Haha
@Anti-Matter you think all 3rd party devs are going to use game key cards without actual proof to back that up cause all your doing is being mr negative pants against the switch 2 on almost every article.
@LavaTwilight not quite how it went comrade. I was there too. Before the end of 1991, we also had actraiser, final fantasy, pilotwings, simcity, gradius, r-type… These were all exclusive games at the time, too, if they were 3rd party. It was one of the best system launch windows of all time.
@jesse_dylan ah you Americans... spoilt for choice. We only had the choice of Mario World or FZero. But I am also talking about the launch day/week, not the launch year. In Europe the SNES didn't release until 1992, and so by the end of the 'first year' we also had Mario Kart.
Whenever the next Direct ends up being it’ll be interesting to see how Switch 1 is in the mix. Will they do what they did with the 3DS/Switch transition and have the first segment be Switch 1 meanwhile the 2nd segment is Switch 2 or will it be more of a mixture. I’d be very surprised if Nintendo avoided talking about Switch 1 completely considering DQ1+2 remake (a Switch 1 game) is such a gigantic release.
@LavaTwilight 1991 was an amazing launch year in the US , or rather four months. I forgot Castlevania in the list as well, Populous, and others. I don't think the Switch 2's first four months are going to be able to match it at all. But that's partly because the landscape has changed.
@RiasGremory
Of course I don't feel happy with situation which almost every 3rd party games on Switch 2.
Given by that situation, it's not guarantee if the 3rd party games that get announced from Nintendo Direct will have game data inside the cartridge.
Imagine your hype getting high after you saw the 3rd party games announced for Switch 2, but then you realize the game is game key after the Direct finished.
It's a rollercoaster emotional feeling from excited suddenly going disappointed.
Given by unfortunate situation for 3rd party games for Switch 2, I became less excited to get 3rd party games on Switch 2 and I decided to take another decision by considering the PS5 version instead everytime I see 3rd party games announced for multi consoles version.
I don't the BS product of game key card.
A Nintendo direct...dedicated to Rockstar. Make it happen!
I always expected one this summer. Still so much to learn about Prime 4 if it really is releasing this year. Plus I think they will tease their big holiday release which I still think will be 3D Mario. Hopefully they take 3D Mario in a brand new direction/new team
A Nintendo direct? In the month of June? No way!
@Anti-Matter Fair enough if you’re invested in both systems. But most people on here are probably playing Nintendo systems exclusively.
That would help Switch 2's momentum greatly. Outside of their two launch titles and Age of Imprisonment, Switch 2's first-party library doesn't have much. Hopefully they reveal 3D Mario finally, as well as Splatoon. I can't see Animal Crossing being revealed until after Splatoon launches, or near it at least.
Metroid Prime 4 counts a little more as a proper Switch 2 title because the upgrade pack actually improves textures and offers more display modes outside of a basic frame rate bump. But of course, Metroid typically struggles to sell so they have to go the extra mile and offer more value than other upgrade packs, like Pokemon ZA's...
Kirby's Star-Crossed World is a nice offering for those interested, but ultimately it looks to function like a New Game+, which I'm not interested in. Simple and straightforward frame rate/resolution bumps are not enough for me to consider the cross port a proper Switch 2 game.
@Ulysses I don’t think we see new 3D Mario until after DK because the general public might say, Mario will be better, I’ll wait. With Mario’s 40th, I think we see a Mario Direct in September - maybe teaser for new game in 2026 and Galaxy 2 HD with mouse controls for the pointer this fall? I think 1st party is mostly set for the year with Hyrule Warriors and Prime 4 being the holiday titles, and maybe like Red Dead 2 getting a port from Rockstar. Maybe Splatoon as it can start smaller and grow, but they’re counting Switch 2 Enhanced as new games in that weird way Nintendo thinks.
@QBertFarnsworth Sigh, you're probably right. Regrettably, Nintendo is begging big on Donkey Kong, evidenced by their huge financial commitment to the DK Country expansion across all their theme parks.
I was very disappointed when DK Bananza was revealed, just because of the implication that 3D Mario might be pushed back a year later.
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