The Nintendo Switch 2 has taken the world by storm following its release earlier this month. Following years of rumors and speculation, the Nintendo Switch 2 launched to record-breaking sales not just by Nintendo’s standards, but by the entire gaming industry’s standards. The new system has proven to be a technical powerhouse for Nintendo, and it’s seen some of the publisher’s strongest third-party support to date with launch titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Street Fighter 6.
So far, however, Nintendo has continued to drip-feed its first-party games and announcements, much like it did with the previous iteration of the Nintendo Switch. Thus, Mario Kart World was the only major new first-party game available on the system at launch, with subsequent games coming in the next several months. As fans patiently await the next smattering of Nintendo Switch 2 titles, a Nintendo Direct feels like a near-necessity at this point.
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Nintendo Should Be Preparing A New Nintendo Direct For The Summer
June Is Usually Nintendo Direct Season, But Not This Year
It’s a given that Nintendo will have another proper Nintendo Direct sometime this year, but it feels like it needs to happen sooner rather than later. Typically, Nintendo has taken to broadcasting a Nintendo Direct every June around the time of the Summer Game Fest. This would allow the publisher to show off titles that would boost its library before or during the Holiday season, while also offering a tease or two of what was to come in the following year.
That said, the Switch 2’s release during June seemed to complicate the publisher’s usual plans; it seemed to focus on a smooth launch for the next platform. Thus, while fellow console manufacturers Sony and Microsoft had their own gaming showcases, Nintendo has not put together a major Nintendo Direct during the month. Instead, the Big N has continued to drip-feed and focus on smaller announcements, even across several of its prominent titles.
Nintendo Has Drip-Fed Its Announcements Through The Nintendo Today App
The only major showcase Nintendo hosted this month was a single-game Nintendo Direct focused entirely on the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza, set to launch in July. Otherwise, Nintendo has spent its time making surprise announcements through its Nintendo Today app, instead of devoting larger presentations to them. In the past few weeks, Nintendo has revealed a new spinoff game, Splatoon Raiders, and announced the release date of Drag X Drive through the app, quietly surprising its devoted players.
Meanwhile, there are several major Switch 2 titles expected to arrive this year that don’t have proper release dates. Games like Kirby Air Riders and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment were given loose 2025 release windows during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct in April, but Nintendo has been quiet on both games since. Furthermore, the cross-generational Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is expected to finally release this year, but Nintendo stopped short of offering a proper release date during the Nintendo Direct in April.
While fellow console manufacturers Sony and Microsoft had their own gaming showcases, Nintendo has not put together a major Nintendo Direct.
Nintendo Has Plenty To Showcase In The Next Nintendo Direct
Beyond these games, Nintendo has several games planned for 2026 that it could benefit from showing more of. Beyond the aforementioned Splatoon Raiders, FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods is a Nintendo-published game expected to release next year and appears due for a larger showing. Meanwhile, the previous-generation Nintendo Switch still has games like Rhythm Heaven Groove and Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream to look forward to, and a Direct could demonstrate these games further while potentially offering Switch 2 Editions or improvements to players on the new system.
The Nintendo Switch 2 has had a brilliant launch, but Nintendo needs to keep that momentum going across the rest of the console’s first year. With a bevy of first-party titles on the horizon, along with the promise of increased third-party support, the publisher won’t be able to make every announcement through the Nintendo Today app. A Nintendo Direct must be a priority, and the Big N should work to deliver one during the Summer.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- July 17, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo





